Exhibit will celebrate American Beach

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The A. L. Lewis Museum at American Beach will present the temporary exhibition, “Sankofa: Looking Back to Go Forward,” Friday, 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,” MaVynee Oshun Betsch (nee Marvyne Elisabeth Betsch).

“Sankofa: Looking Back to Go Forward” is nine decades of a journey through photos, documents, stories and echoes of American Beach sounds.

In addition, join the A. L. Lewis Museum at American Beach on the first day of Black History Month, Feb. 1, from noon to 4 p.m. for a 90th Celebration, an old-fashion American Beach family gathering with music, storytelling, games and of course, a visit to “Sankofa: Looking Back to Go Forward.”

Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. The A. L. Lewis Museum at American Beach is located at 1600 Julia St., American Beach. This exhibition was made possible through the generosity of Bing Kegler.

Ninety years ago, A. L. Lewis, president of the Afro-American Life Insurance Co. and its Pension Bureau, created a company-owned residential beach resort. Founded in 1935, the American Beach Resort rose from the sands on Amelia Island to become a destination for Black hope, pride and joy. Lewis’s vision for what American Beach should provide his people is captured in his own words: “recreation and relaxation without humiliation.”

The “Beach Lady” was born on Jan. 13, 1935, 18 days before the officially opening of the American Beach Resort on Jan. 31, seemingly gifting her a legacy she was destined to preserve and protect American Beach. Although, the “Beach Lady” was only 12 years old when Lewis died, it was she among all of his descendants, who laid claim to and helped sustain his and American Beach’s legacy until her death.

Learn more on the museum’s website: www.allewismuseum.org