Fernandina Beach, Fla. —
The A. L. Lewis Museum at American Beach will present a temporary exhibition called “Sankofa: Looking Back to Go Forward” starting on opening Jan. 31 through Feb. 28. “This special show celebrates 90 years of a legacy of despair, hope, pride, joy, and preservation in the faces, the voices and the memories of the intergenerational American Beach residents and the indelible spirit of the Beach Lady,” a news release from the museum states.
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The Beach Lady, MaVynee Oshun Betsch, was born Jan. 13, 1935. Eighteen days later, American Beach Resort opened during the segregation and the Jim Crow era when African Americans were denied access to a host of public amenities like public pools and beaches. A. L. Lewis, Betsch’s grandfather and Florida’s first black millionaire and president of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company, founded American Beach as a resort community that was visited mostly by African Americans though it welcomed all.
Located on Amelia Island in Nassau County, American Beach played host to many Black celebrities during its heyday, such as Zora Neale Hurston, singer Billie Daniels, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Billy Eckstein, Hank Aaron, Joe Louis, actor Ossie Davis.
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The passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 desegregated Florida’s beaches decreasing the lure of American Beach as many Black people in the Jacksonville area turned to beaches closer to where they lived.
American Beach largely vanquished as a destination for African Americans and after moving away from the area for some years, Betsch, the Beach Lady, returned in 1977 and was determined to make sure the area’s illustrious past was never forgotten. She fought for American Beach’s perseveration staving off potential buyers of the land and raising awareness until her death in 2005.
In 2001, American Beach was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museum Exhibit
The exhibition Sankofa: Looking Back to Go Forward features nine decades of a journey through photos, documents, stories and echos of “American Beach sounds,” a museum news release states. On Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month, the museum will feature a celebration including an old-fashion American Beach family gathering with music, storytelling and games.
WHAT: 90th Anniversary Exhibition Sankofa: American Beach Looking Back to go Forward
WHEN: Exhibition-Friday, Jan. 31 through Feb.28
Museum Hours: Friday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. -- 90th Celebration-Saturday, Febuary 1, noon to 4 p.m.
WHERE: A. L. Lewis Museum at American Beach 1600 Julia Street, American Beach, Florida 32034
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