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- Permanent Link:
- http://dpanther.fiu.edu/sobek/FIVK045594/00001
Notes
- General Note:
- This film contains a series of oral histories that describe the various experiences of people at Virginia Key Beach in second half of the twentieth century.
The first interview begins with Frederick Washington. Washington notes that he was born and raised in Miami. Washington begins his interview with a story about how, when he was a kid, every time his family left the Miami zoo he wanted to go to the beach. But Washington’s father told him that they could not use the beach at "this particular time." Washington then says that every time he is near Virginia Key beach, he stops at the beach to remember the good times. Washington reveals to the camera that he first came to Virginia Key Beach when he was six years old, almost forty years ago, in 1950 or 1951. Washington recalls that as a kid he was confused about why the white people in Miami could use the nearby beach but he and his family could not. He then reminisces about playing football and volleyball when he visited Virginia Key Beach, having picnics at the beach, and visiting the beach often. Washington also remembers the train at Virginia Key Beach, the merry go round, and the carousel. He recalls feeling positive about the fact that Virginia Key Beach was a black only beach, but also feeling puzzled as to why he could only go to one of Miami's beaches. Finally Washington reveals to the interviewer that he stopped coming to Virginia Key Beach when it stopped being "clean" like a "normal beach" (Interview ends at 5.40).
Next, they interview Cherrylis(?) Washington, but she says they can call her Lisa. She begins her interview by saying that she was born and raised in Miami and that she remembers going to Virginia Key beach as a child. She recalls remembering the music, the limbo and dance contests, and that the beach was very family oriented. Lisa remembered when the beach held a surfing contest and that the waves used to be kind of high. She recalls how crowded it could get at the beach’s concession stands. Lisa thinks the restoration project is quite important. Finally she notes that they stopped coming to the beach after it fell into disrepair (Interview ends at 8.17).
Next, they interview Gail Glass Aldrich. Aldrich reveals that she was born in Miami and that her father was in the service. The Aldrich family eventually returned to Miami, and Gail Aldrich went to high school at Miami Northwestern High school. Aldrich remembers visiting the beach with her family and talks about leaving for the beach after summer school ended. Aldrich still came to the beach as an adult after work. Aldrich likes that they are trying to bring the beach back (Interview ends at 12.01).
The next interview comes from Charles E. Wright. Wright reveals that he was raised at, and lived on, Virginia Key Beach. Wright notes that he came to Virginia Key with his family in 1957. He remembers when Hurricane Donna hit the beach. Wright also recalls the train at Virginia Key Beach and the construction of the train tunnel. Wright recalls that Virginia Key Beach was a lonely place during the week and he only played with other kids on the weekends, when their families visited the beach. Wright noted that he never understood why they closed the beach and that he revisited the beach in 1995 (Interview ends at .59 on fcp 19, abruptly cut off).
Next they interview Shirley Newbold Bunches. Bunches remembers coming to Virginia Key Beach during Labor Day weekend. She remembers that her family took a boat to Virginia Key. Bunches tells the interviewer that as a kid, she did not realize that Virginia Key beach was a segregated beach because she was raised to believe that everyone was alright. For Bunches, a typical day at Virginia Key beach consisted of dancing, riding the train, and having picnics. She thinks the restoration project is wonderful and she praises the Virginia Key Trust (Interview ends at 3.20).
They next interview Antonio(a?) Williams Gary. Gary grew up in Miami and visited Virginia Key beach several times. Gary talked about smelling the food while her father prepared their family to go to the beach. Her family always had a cabana at the beach where they would fall asleep after spending time swimming and laying out in the sun. She remembers the dancing at the beach and looking forward to riding the train and the carousel. Gary's earliest memories of Virginia Key Beach came from 1952 or 1953 and she continued to visit the beach for another four to five years. She stopped coming to the beach because she did not want to have "sand" on her anymore. Gary reveals that she is excited about the restoration project because it has brought so many people together. Gary's most vivid memory of the beach was when she saw sharks at the beach as a kid (Interview ends at 6.39).
Next they interview Erma Lewis Perry. Perry noted that as a native Miamian, Virginia Key Beach was her entertainment every weekend. Her most memorable event was being baptized at Virginia Key Beach during segregation. She noted that very few Miami churches had baptismal pools and so the local churches used Virginia Key Beach to baptize their parishioners. Perry's typical day at Virginia Key Beach involved bringing food to the beach, or buying a corndog. She remembers the beach being very festive and that she felt a part of a larger identity. Perry noted that she never felt in any danger at the beach. She recalls an incident where jellyfish circled her son. She remembers that she was able to get him out of the water before they stung him. She stopped coming to the beach when she moved from Miami. When she returned to the city, there were "other things" that the city offered young African American professionals. She loves the restoration project (Interview ends at 11.43).
Next they interview Carmen Morris, (UNCLEAR) Rawlins, Daniel (UNCLEAR) and Keith Clark. They note that today (April 16, 2005) is a memorable day because they are moving history forward at Virginia Key Beach. Carmen Morris likes the fact that her son will be able to visit the museum (Interview ends at 14.05).
Then, they interview Keith Bertram Clark alone. Clark is from Miami and he remembers the train, the carousel and the food. He is glad to know that one of the black community's goals is to make the beach accessible for everyone. Clark started visiting Virginia Key Beach at five years old, in the mid-1950s. For Clark, a typical day at the beach was "wonderful." Clark revealed that he converted from Catholicism to the Bahá'í faith at Virginia Key beach. Clark also reveals that he stopped visiting Virginia Key beach (brief tape break) because he, and others, lived too far north of the beach. But he also claims that he does not really remember why he stopped coming. Clark feels that the restoration holds quite a bit of promise as long as no scandals emerge (Interview ends at 4.11 on fcp-20).
The next interviewee is Aretha (?) or Retha (?) Boone (Not sure about the spelling). Boone talks about her first memories of the beach and the fact that she could meet people from all of Miami's segregated neighborhoods at Virginia Key beach. Boone said that there were no incidences of violence at Virginia Key beach and that she is quite happy that the beach will be opening back up to the public. Boone revealed that she stopped coming to the beach because once the beach became integrated she, and others, decided to explore other options. Boone approves of the restoration project and that Virginia Key Beach is an important part of Miami's history (Interview ends at 2.43 on fcp-16).
The next interview comes from Dr. Anna Ward. Dr. Ward reveals that she almost drowned at Virginia Key Beach. She remembers the train at Virginia Key Beach, the dance floor, and a "lot more palm trees. She talks about how she started coming to the beach in the 1950s, but that she stopped coming to Virginia Key Beach when integration started to make the beach less safe. Dr. Ward noted that she was too young to understand that Virginia Key Beach was a segregated beach. She also noted that she did not understand when she was growing up how segregated Miami was during her childhood. Dr. Ward said that she "loves" the restoration project and that she is the mother of James Ward. Dr. Ward noted that when she returned to Florida in 1992, she was disillusioned about the beach because it was closed and that there were plans to develop it (Interview ends at 8.39). The next interviews contain no audio.
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Virginia Key Beach Park Trust
- Holding Location:
- Florida International University
- Rights Management:
- No copyright - United States
- Resource Identifier:
- FIVK045594
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