Credit: Michael Lusk
MaVynee Betsch (Beach Lady) (1935 –2005) was an American environmental activist who gave up her wealth and her career as an Opera and dedicated herself to protecting the historic ‘American Beach’ which was found by her great grandfather. Before the enactment of the civil right act in 1964, the beach was a place where African Americans go to enjoy “recreation and relaxation without humiliation. However, after the decline in the beaches, MaVynee helped to maintain the beach environment.
Her campaign led to Beach’s highest dune (“NaNa Dune,” part of the tallest dune system of Florida’s Atlantic Coast) to be made an Ecological and Historic Preserve, and the beach added to the National Register of Historic Places, thus giving it protection. In 2005, she was posthumously honoured as an Unsung Hero of Compassion by the Dalai Lama. In 2014, American Beach Museum opened its doors, bringing one of MaVynee’s dreams to life.