Born in Jacksonville in 1935, Betsch lived at American Beach on Amelia Island, Florida, the African-American Hyannis port, where the crème de la crème of black society came to relax in the Jim Crow South. MaVynee’s millionaire grandfather, Abraham Lincoln Lewis, founded the beach, and she was raised in luxury as a member of the African-American upper class.
Born in Jacksonville in 1935, Betsch resided at American Beach on Amelia Island, Florida, the exclusive African-American resort town, where the elite of black society would gather to unwind in the segregated South. MaVynee’s wealthy grandfather, Abraham Lincoln Lewis, established the beach, and she was raised in opulence as a member of the African-American aristocracy.