Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Virginia Key Beach Park

Photographed By Marsha A. Matson, December 2, 2014

1. Virginia Key Beach Park Marker

Inscription. Virginia Key Beach Park is an environmental and historic landmark located on a barrier island. Its earliest recorded history is of an 1838 skirmish during the Second Seminole War in which three Seminoles were killed on this site. From the early 1900s onward, during the era of segregation, this location became a popular unofficial colored recreation area, popularly known as "Bears Cut." In 1945, following a bold protest led by Attorney Lawson E. Thomas and others to demand an officially designated beach, Virginia Key Beach was opened on August 1, "for exclusive use of Negroes." The new park, at first accessible only by boat, was an immediate success, attracting over 1,000 visitors on any given weekend. In addition to the baptisms and sunrise services which regularly took place, churches, organizations, and families gathered here for memorable picnics and social events. The park brought together all neighborhoods and social classes of the "Colored" community. By the early 1960s, another courageous protest brought segregation to an end. The beach park is a symbol of the efforts of Black Miamians who persevered to bring about change for future generations.

Erected 2006 by A Florida Heritage Site sponsored by the City of Miami Parks and Recreation Department and the Florida Department of State.

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(Marker Number F-573.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Native Americans • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical year for this entry is 1838.

Location. 25° 44.102′ N, 80° 9.375′ W. Marker is in Miami, Florida, in Miami-Dade County. Marker can be reached from Virginia Beach Drive, 0.4 miles north of Rickenbacker Causeway (State Road 913), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4020 Virginia Beach Drive, Key Biscayne FL 33149, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Historical Marker #2 Dance Pavilion (a few steps from this marker); The Concession Stand (within shouting distance of this marker); Office of Dr. James Jackson, Miami's First Physician (approx. 2.8 miles away); Professor Charles Torrey Simpson/Professor Charles Torrey Simpson Park (approx. 2.9 miles away); Congregation Beth Jacob (approx. 2.9 miles away); Brickell Park (approx. 3.1 miles away); Mary Brickell Park (approx. 3.1 miles away); Saving the Circle (approx. 3.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Miami.

More about this marker. The marker is located on the Atlantic Ocean beach next to the bath house and snack bar. The park is

Photographed By Marsha A. Matson, December 2, 2014

2. Virginia Key Beach Park Marker

directly off Rickenbacker Causeway connecting Key Biscayne and Miami. Nearby facilities include the Miami Seaquarium, a major tennis center, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Also see . . . The Seminole Wars. (Submitted on December 4, 2014, by Marsha A. Matson of Palmetto Bay, Florida.)

Photographed By Marsha A. Matson, December 2, 2014

3. Virginia Key Beach Park Marker

Virginia Key Beach image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Marsha A. Matson, December 2, 2014

4. Virginia Key Beach

Photographed By Marsha A. Matson, December 2, 2014

5. Virginia Key Beach

Photographed By FlashbackMiami.com (Miami Herald History Series)

6. Virginia Key Beach

Colored Only Sign image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Virginia Key Beach Park Trust

7. Colored Only Sign

Collaborative Archive from the African Diaspora, University of Miami Libraries

Credits. This page was last revised on October 27, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 4, 2014, by Marsha A. Matson of Palmetto Bay, Florida. This page has been viewed 652 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on December 4, 2014, by Marsha A. Matson of Palmetto Bay, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.