After the Civil War, and extending well into the 20th century, laws barring African Americans from public facilities were common throughout the American south. Not until passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did these so-called Jim Crow laws begin to disappear. Until they did, blacks simply could not claim the same rights and privileges that white Americans enjoyed. All along Florida’s spectacular shoreline, for example, African Americans were denied entry to most public beaches. American Beach was created to address that situation. Proceed to African American Determination. Return to History of American Beach. |
Last updated: January 13, 2016