Inner-city Infrastructure: Overtown's Lyric Theater

I have come to realize that there are two different pedigrees when it comes to the inner-city areas of South Florida. One is a lineage that traces the roots of the marginalized community to white founders who fled to the suburbs as undesirable "others" moved in next door. The other lineage is derived from when a community was a segregated enclave in which Blacks were forced to live under Jim Crow laws. The four communities in South Florida that I am familiar with who have this kind of lineage are Overtown and Liberty City in Miami, Sistrunk in Fort Lauderdale, and Pearl City in Boca Raton.

The advantage of finding an area that was historically a segregated community is that the heritage is rich in culture. But in the case of Overtown, Sistrunk and Pearl City, these communities are all very close to what is now the commercial core of those cities. This simple fact is now putting them at risk. In all three instances there is an enormous amount of pressure to erase and "sanitize" the Black history and have the commercial district swallow it up. As a friend explained it to me, "Suddenly [the white folks] realized they had given up a prime location."

In Overtown, the historic Lyric Theater is a good example of what can be done to resist exactly this kind of pressure. In 2007 we were given an example of what kind of activism is needed in order to draw attention to not only the heritage of these communities, but also to preserving the buildings.

The Wikipedia post for Overtown almost seems to credit this increased attention to spurring on the revitalization of the theater, and by 2012 it looks like it will serve as a focal point of a youth program.

But back to that 2007 event. It was during the Art Basel festival season when a POPtv / nonradioMusic Studio Lab Project (no, that is not a typo) presented "AAPC+Overtown; A Snapshot of the Golden Age of American Music."

The project featured Derin Young and it was a multimedia performance that showcased historical Overtown residents and visitors by using both audio and video content. What it also did was celebrate the rich cultural history of Overtown. The performance utilized special segments highlighting Sammy Davis, Jr., Sam and Dave, Nat King Cole and Dinah Washington, as well as music from contemporary composers like Derin Young and R.M. Crews, who form the nucleus of the Studio Lab Project.

Indexing for This Topic:

"The Culture"

"White Flight"

Florida New Majority and The Miami Worker's Center

Since my most recent visit to Liberty City and Overtown I have been following two groups that are building a strong presence there.

The following is copied from the "About Us" page of the Florida New Majority (FNM)

"Founded in 2009, FNM overcomes the history of racism and division in the Sunshine State.

"By building common cause among diverse communities we are expanding democracy and developing the leadership of underrepresented communities. We are shifting the role of government away from being a pocketbook for corporate interest, to supporting the well-being of all Floridians."

The Miami Worker's Center is headquartered at the corner of MLK Blvd and 7th Avenue in Liberty City. There is a block party on Saturday, October 23rd, 2010 that sounds like a fun event.

Both of the above groups have e-newsletters that you can subscribe to on their web pages. I am confident that I will be posting quite a few more events and campaigns that these groups are involved with.

Indexing for This Topic:

"Cause for Optimism"

The Overtown Renaissance Movement

I just finished a Prezi presentation. Take a look. It is a far cry from a Powerpoint slideshow for sure.

Give it about 10 seconds to load in the background before you click on anything. It is a large file. Then click on the ">" icon at the bottom. This will start the program and it will take another 10 seconds to buffer.

Next I recommend you click on "More," then "full screen," and then advance the screens manually with the ">" icon at the bottom of the screen.

Indexing for This Topic:
"The Culture"

"Cause for Optimism"

Liberty City Sheds Its History as the Crime Capital of South Florida

The last line of the Wikipedia entry for Liberty City is disturbing to me.

Liberty City is a notoriously dangerous section of Miami as mass shootings are commonplace.

I have to ask why somebody would end this Wikipedia post in this manner after reading the prior sentences within the same paragraph.

Liberty City is also home to the Miami Workers Center. A strategy and organizing center for low-income communities and low-wage workers in Miami-Dade County. Initiated in March 1999, the Center’s mission is to work to end poverty and oppression. The Center’s most significant achievement has been the initiation and development of Low Income Families Fighting Together (LIFFT)—a grassroots membership organization of and for current and former welfare recipients, low-wage workers, and public housing residents that has become a growing force in Miami-Dade County. In these efforts the Miami Workers’ Center joins arms with Miami-Dade County's low-income people to address issues of poverty and limited opportunity.

There is much to be hopeful for in Liberty City, not the least of which is the massive investment made by the county to provide community services to the residents. This 5-story tall building is dedicated entirely to providing much needed health and wellness programs to some of the most disadvantaged people of South Florida. It is adjacent to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Metrorail station.

People are too quick to condemn the inner-city poor as a drain on taxpayers. People like my nephew. Thankfully, Miami-Dade County sees their work in Liberty City as an investment in the future, rather than a paternalistic duty.

As wonderful as the Miami-Dade County Human Services Office Building is, I doubt if it will do as much to alter the course of history in Liberty City as the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center will. While visiting the center to take photos I met with the manager, Marshall Davis. He is a white-haired man who has been at the center for more than twenty years.

This is a small excerpt of a conversation that I had with him. My question to him was, "What makes you optimistic about the future of Liberty City?"

Indexing for This Topic:

"Cause for Optimism"

"The Culture"

The Murals of Liberty City, Florida

This particular mural stood out among the many that were painted along MLK Blvd. in Liberty City. It is obvious that somebody is keeping it vivid and fresh. It virtually leaps off the wall and grabs you as you drive by. (Click on image for a high-resolution view.)

When driving by, you, as a driver, will not have a chance to read the words, but there-in lies the message. Only a few American's will not recognize them as excerpts from King's last speech.

"Like anybody, I'd like to live a long life...but it doesn't matter now. I've been to the mountaintop."

And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But...we as a people will get to the Promised Land."

This is the short video of a portion of the speech that includes the above phrases:

There were many other murals along MLK Blvd. in Liberty City, and here is a sampling.

Going under the I-95 freeway eastbound, this is your initial view.




If you get stopped at the light under the freeway, you get to read these words.








These murals are in the downtown core.











Make sure you take a moment to read the initial comment made below this blog by 'circles...all the way down' about this sign, which he entitled "For Rent: Dream of the Century."





These murals are under the I-95 freeway westbound, toward the downtown Liberty City area.






The spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has been kept alive in Liberty City. At the far western end, just before entering the Hialeah portion of MLK Blvd., you will pass Martin Luther King Jr. park, where there is a larger-than-life statue of Dr. King.


If you want to take some of the art home with you, you can always buy a T-shirt.

Indexing for This Topic

"The Culture"

"Cause for Optimism"

Report Card: Fort Lauderdale / Lauderdale Lakes, Broward County, Florida

Fort Lauderdale / Lauderdale Lakes

Broward County, Florida

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Avenue

(Also known as: NW 31st Avenue)

Zip Codes: 33312 / 33311 / 33309 (south to north)

Overview: If you click on the map below you will not see an MLK Blvd (or in this case, MLK Avenue) anywhere in sight. For reasons still unknown to me (but which I will be investigating), Google Maps still does not show NW 31st Avenue as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Avenue. Neither did Mapquest. Regardless, the street signs all show both MLK Avenue and NW 31st Avenue for the duration of the road that I traveled. The Broward Transit Route Map did show Route 40 going along the northern length of what it referred to as MLK Blvd. (not Avenue...go figure), which it also showed turning into NW 31st Street when it passed Commercial Boulevard in the north.

MLK Avenue through Fort Lauderdale starts in a thriving residential community of single-family homes south of Davie Boulevard in South Fort Lauderdale. (See photo of home below.) Heading north, the parcels of land along MLK Ave. start becoming commercialized while the residential neighborhoods continue behind the commercial buildings.

View Larger Map

At NW 19th Street you enter Lauderdale Lakes, and by the time you reach Oakland Park Boulevard (the equivalent of 31st Street) the area is heavily commercial and even borders on becoming industrial. It gradually transitions back to residential, and by the time you reach NW 40th Street the street signs no longer reference NW 31st Avenue as MLK Avenue.

Length: Approximately 5 miles

From 1300 Block South to 3900 Block North.

(Davie Boulevard in the south to just shy of Commercial Boulevard in the north)

Classifications:

Residential Neighborhood (houses and apartments visible to MLK Avenue) = 50%

Vacant = 15%

Blighted and Ignored = 5%

Blighted but Not Ignored = 5%

Gentrification Failing = 0

Gentrification Succeeding = 0

Viable with Room to Improve = 50%

Vibrant and Car Friendly = 25%

Vibrant and Pedestrian Friendly = 0

Commercial Corridor: Main Street = 10%
(Only at the crossroads with east/west major intersections.)
Gentrification Failing = 30%
Gentrification Succeeding = 10%
Viable with Room to Improve = 60%

Commercial Corridor: Mom & Pop Shops = 20%

Vacant = 50%

Blighted and Ignored = 10%

Blighted but Not Ignored = 20%

Gentrification Failing = 10%

Gentrification Succeeding = 0

Viable with Room to Improve = 10%

Vibrant and Car Friendly = 0

Vibrant and Pedestrian Friendly = 0

Industrial Corridor = 15%

Vacant = 30%

Blighted and Ignored = 30%

Blighted but Not Ignored = 40%

Gentrification Failing = 0

Gentrification Succeeding = 0

Viable with Room to Improve = 0

Vibrant = 0

Institutional and Parks = 5%

Gentrification Succeeding = 50%

Viable with Room to Improve = 50%

Community Assets:

Parks and Community Centers: There are several schools along the length of this MLK Avenue, owing primarily to how heavily residential the corridor is. Most of the schools did not front MLK Avenue but the number of school zones were evidence that they were there, just out of sight. On the property with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Elementary School there was a school with the name "Title I Migrant and Special Programs" on the sign out front. The one visible community center that fronts on MLK Avenue, the brand new Edgar P. Mills Multi-Purpose Center, was tough to research on the web, but I believe it to be a "Family Success Center" and arts facility. It was disturbing to see that almost without exception, Broward.org cited the address as 900 NW 31 Ave. and made no reference to the fact that it was on MLK Avenue. This bears some more investigation as to why that would be.

Churches: There were less than a dozen churches that fronted on this MLK Avenue. I imagine that the small number has to do with how accessible the area is to other more suitable church sites, such as the very successful (and large) Black churches in the nearby historically Black Sistrunk neighborhood. On the map you will see several churches along the east-west corridors, just a few blocks off MLK Avenue.

National Chain Grocery or Department Stores: None were encountered, not even at the junctions with the major east-west corridors.

Brand Name Franchised Restaurants: A few (your typical KFC and Church's Chicken) were visible from MLK Avenue when I crossed Broward Boulevard, Sunrise Boulevard and Oakland Park Boulevard.

Other National Franchises: Familiar auto parts franchise stores were visible only at the east-west crossroads noted above.

NIMBY Items Encountered:

There is a massive flood reservoir to the east of MLK Avenue between NW 13th and 17th Streets, but it was sheltered by a dike and not visible from the street. The four blocks of chain link fencing were not too attractive though, and gave the appearance of more vacant land.

There were no rail corridors crossing this MLK Avenue because it ran parallel to the CSX Railway corridor ten blocks to the east.

There were two highly visible major power substations along this MLK Avenue.

Indexing for This Topic

"The Report Cards"

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