American Beach: In Jim-Crow Florida, a Haven for African Americans
Today the quiet little community of American Beach on Florida’s Amelia Island is in transition. Modest vacation homes dating from the 1930s share space with vacant lots, abandoned buildings, and newer, more elegant structures. High-rise condos and beachfront mansions have risen to the north and south in adjacent resorts. Though small in area, American Beach has played a significant role in recent African American history.
Choose from the links below to learn more about the history of American Beach:
Segregation Law
African American Determination
A Minority at its Leisure
1964, Beginning of the End
Essay on American Beach, by Dr. Carolyn Williams, professor of history at the University of North Florida
Return to American Beach Home.
This webpage was written by Larry Chase, park volunteer, April 2006.
