At a time when African Americans were denied entry to most public beaches in Florida, A.L. Lewis, president of the pioneering black-owned business, the Afro-American Life Insurance Company, founded the American Beach community on Amelia Island in 1935 as a haven during the Jim Crow era for first his employees and later the wider black community. We are thrilled to have distinguished scholar and Lewis’s great-granddaughter, Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, as our presenter to discuss the history and ongoing legacy of American Beach at Thoughtful Thursday at 5 pm March 21 at The Oaks, 203 Sea Marsh. Cole will take… Read More »
![Historical photo of American Beach](https://aipca.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/1966/2024/03/american-beach-768x491.jpg)
American Beach the focus of our next Thoughtful Thursday
published: March 11th, 2024 by aipcanews