Description

Book Synopsis
This heartfelt picture book biography illustrated by the Caldecott Honoree Ekua Holmes, tells the story of MaVynee Betsch, an African American opera singer turned environmentalist and the legacy she preserved.

MaVynee loved going to the beach. But in the days of Jim Crow, she couldn't just go to any beach--most of the beaches in Jacksonville were for whites only. Knowing something must be done, her grandfather bought a beach that African American families could enjoy without being reminded they were second class citizens; he called it American Beach. Artists like Zora Neale Hurston and Ray Charles vacationed on its sunny shores. It's here that MaVynee was first inspired to sing, propelling her to later become a widely acclaimed opera singer who routinely performed on an international stage. But her first love would always be American Beach.

After the Civil Rights Act desegregated public places, there was no longer a need for a place like American Beach and it slowl

Saving American Beach The Biography of African

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    RRP £17.99 – you save £1.80 (10%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Wed 19 Aug 2026.

    A Hardback by Heidi Tyline King, Ekua Holmes

    10 in stock

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      View other formats and editions of Saving American Beach The Biography of African by Heidi Tyline King

      Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 13/04/2021
      ISBN13: 9781101996294, 978-1101996294
      ISBN10: 1101996293

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      This heartfelt picture book biography illustrated by the Caldecott Honoree Ekua Holmes, tells the story of MaVynee Betsch, an African American opera singer turned environmentalist and the legacy she preserved.

      MaVynee loved going to the beach. But in the days of Jim Crow, she couldn't just go to any beach--most of the beaches in Jacksonville were for whites only. Knowing something must be done, her grandfather bought a beach that African American families could enjoy without being reminded they were second class citizens; he called it American Beach. Artists like Zora Neale Hurston and Ray Charles vacationed on its sunny shores. It's here that MaVynee was first inspired to sing, propelling her to later become a widely acclaimed opera singer who routinely performed on an international stage. But her first love would always be American Beach.

      After the Civil Rights Act desegregated public places, there was no longer a need for a place like American Beach and it slowl

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