EJ Samuels

“You were born without clothes. You were born without racial hatred. You were taught to wear clothes. Likewise, you were taught racial prejudice.” – E.J .Samuels African American nudist -Light out of Darkness, Sunshine & Health, Nov. 1944

Samuels, was an ex police officer who had a second career selling real estate at the time. ¹ Nudism and Negroes – Herbert Nipson Ebony Magazine August 1951 Samuels his wife Laura and his family are believed to be the first African Americans to be official members of a nudist club.²RACE is the question What is the answer? Story, Mark | Nude & Natural 25.3 Samuels and his wife were members of the De Anza Trail Club.

He is also regarded as the first African American to be a delegate to a nudist convention. The Western Sunbathing Association made an exception for E.J. Samuels, who was admitted to a white California club, and in 1946 was even made an inaugural officer of that regional organization: the Inter-Racial Assistant Secretary. ³Naturist Vintage

But you may say, “you and your wife are exceptional negroes.” We are not the exception but the rule. In every race and in every nation, in every religious group you will find good and bad people -EJ Samuels African American nudist – Light out of Darkness, Sunshine & Health, Nov. 1944

E. J. aka Brad  Samuels came to the awareness of the white nudist community through a visit he and his family had with Lewis Harding White, the secretary of the Western Conference,  at a nudist camp near Los Angeles. ⁴Naked A Cultural,History of American Nudism ⁵Lewis Harding White, “Western Secretary: The Scopes and Aims of Modern Nude Culture,” Sunshine and Health, September 1944, 25–26.

Samuels was asked in 1944 to write a series of columns for Sunshine and Health magazine describing the politics and experience of black nudism. In the articles Light out of Darkness and On Negro Nudism, described a number of enjoyable experiences at various nudist venues as well as advocacy for racial equality in nudism. ⁶Free and Natural: Nudity and the American Cult of the Body

When you remove race hate you will find you have the same feeling of freedom you enjoyed upon shedding your clothes. – EJ Samuels African American nudist –EJ Samuels – African American nudist – Light out of Darkness, Sunshine & Health, Nov. 1944

Samuels strongly disagreed with the idea supported by the American Sunbathing Association and many of its members that blacks should form their won segregated nudist associations and clubs.

Economically this would not be feasible… Less than two percent of the white population are nudists. Negroes, by themselves, could only support seven or eight camps. As to a Negro nudist magazine—it would be out.” – E.J. Samuels African American nudist – Light out of Darkness, Sunshine & Health, Nov. 1944

Samuels challenged the conventional thinking of some white and black (Oscar HM) nudists who proposed the separate but equal organization solution to negro”nudism. Samuels pointed to economic sustainability as one of the flaws in that  approach. Samuels and his family became ambassadors of the black nudists to white nudist community visiting many nudist clubs and camps, breaking the race barrier at many of those clubs like many other black people like Jackie Robinson who broke down the racial barriers of his day. Samuels spoke honestly about the issues facing the black community exploring nudism.

The dearth of Negro applicants to nudism is in part due to the fact that Negroes felt sure of a stinging rebuff they didn’t even try for a place in the sun

..management found the negroes suspicious of nudist motives convinced that nudist liberties meant sexual license  some Negro women were willing to pose as nude models but could not accept the idea of becoming nudists.

Samuels was invited to speak to the Western Conference of the ASA to share his views. He and his wife became members of the DeAnza Club. Samuels and his wife went on to be the first black delegates to the ASA convention. He was shadowed by Herbert Nipson who wrote about the Samuels family in an article on Nudism and Negroes for Ebony magazine. ⁷ Nudism and Negroes – Herbert Nipson Ebony Magazine August 1951

The monthly Ebony magazine was, at the time, one of the most prestigious and well read publications in the black community. Nipson was primarily interested in telling his readers about nudism and the growing black role in it. ⁸RACE is the question What is the answer? Story, Mark | Nude & Natural 25.3

Everywhere the Samuels are greeted with waves and shouts from earlier arrivals. If anyone resents their presence, it is certainly not apparent.” Herbert Nipson, Editor, Ebony magazine ⁹ Nudism and Negroes – Herbert Nipson Ebony Magazine August 1951  ¹⁰RACE is the question What is the answer? Story, Mark | Nude & Natural 25.3

The article expressed the struggles of  black nudists as an extreme minority in the African Americans experience in the United States. Nipson described that the black people who wanted to participate in nudist life faced significant barriers. ¹¹ Nudism and Negroes – Herbert Nipson Ebony Magazine August 1951 He explained nudism had been

“outlawed in many parts of the country, . . . groups have been hounded by the police, snickered at by the general public, shadowed by peeping toms, . . . and even felt the lash of . . . the Ku Klux Klan which has stamped anything ‘so different’ from the accepted norm as evil and un-American.” ¹²Naked A Cultural,History of American Nudism

Samuels reflected this his double standard when he wrote.

“we have to be careful in selection—because the standard for the Negro has always been the worst Negro. A white group can kick out ten white people and carry on. But if one bad Negro is discovered—that is the end of the Negroes ever in that camp. An entire race is penalized for the misconduct of one, whom the Negroes would not want.”

Samuels still believed that nudism was a good practice for African Americans and their families.

“We are never so happy,” … “as when we are in naked fellowship. We recommend it highly.” ¹³ Nudism and Negroes – Herbert Nipson Ebony Magazine August 1951

References

• 1
  Nudism and Negroes – Herbert Nipson Ebony Magazine August 1951
• 2
  RACE is the question What is the answer? Story, Mark | Nude & Natural 25.3
• 3
  Naturist Vintage
• 4
  Naked A Cultural,History of American Nudism
• 5
  Lewis Harding White, “Western Secretary: The Scopes and Aims of Modern Nude Culture,” Sunshine and Health, September 1944, 25–26.
• 6
  Free and Natural: Nudity and the American Cult of the Body
• 7
  Nudism and Negroes – Herbert Nipson Ebony Magazine August 1951
• 8
  RACE is the question What is the answer? Story, Mark | Nude & Natural 25.3
• 9
  Nudism and Negroes – Herbert Nipson Ebony Magazine August 1951
• 10
  RACE is the question What is the answer? Story, Mark | Nude & Natural 25.3
• 11
  Nudism and Negroes – Herbert Nipson Ebony Magazine August 1951
• 12
  Naked A Cultural,History of American Nudism
• 13
  Nudism and Negroes – Herbert Nipson Ebony Magazine August 1951