This unassuming strip of sand and sea was once a haven for African Americans, the first beach to truly embody the American spirit of acceptance. It was established by in 1935 by the Afro-American Life Insurance Company, the only company to offer Florida’s black population life insurance. During the time of the Jim Crow Laws, it was the only beach open to black visitors, and tourists would travel for hundreds of miles across the country just to visit this beach. Businesses quickly sprang up around the beach, which became a resort for the black community. It was frequented by black entertainers, quickly becoming known as “The Negro Ocean Playground”.

Thankfully, the enforced segregation of races is now a thing of the past, and the beach has lost its visitors to other more popular destinations, while the community that sprang up around it is diminished due to the 1964 Hurricane Dora. However, the American Beach’s historical significance makes it an important attraction, not for sunbathing and swimming, but for its role in promoting racial equality in America.