After the award of a $400,000 state grant for a community center, MaVynee Oshun Betsch and Phil Scanlan began building a coalition, including members of the American Beach Property Owner’s Association (ABPOA), to lobby the Nassau County Board of Commissioners to approve the community center’s construction. In the years that followed the construction bid doubled.
After years of negotiations, the county approved the additional funding and completed construction on the Julia St. building in April 2010.
The A.L. Lewis Historical Society kept the county focused on building the community center. It also sought donors to help raise money for installing the museum inside the community center.
On September 5, 2022, the Julia Street building will be formally renamed the A.L. Lewis Museum in honor of one of the founders of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company and co-founder of American Beach.
"We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort."
This museum is one testament to the power of community.
