ANSWERS: 1
  • Overtown is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Miami. In 1896 the City of Miami was incorporated when Henry Flagler, was building the railroad, needed a place for workers to live. Because at this time Jim Crow lawsJim Crow laws prevented Blacks from living within any area they desired, the land west of the railroad tracks was designated as “Colored Town.” This was the beginning of a unique Black community that is now known as Overtown. Even under segregation, Colored Town grew into a vibrant community. Schools, businesses and churches flourished. In 1904 the City of Miami directory listed numerous businesses that included hotels, grocery and furniture stores, markets barbershops, theaters, and nightclubs. Manufacturing was limited to the production of “soda water” at the Cola Nip Bottling company, owned an operated by two Black men Osbourne Jenkins and William Sampson. Tourists of all races, and locals alike enjoyed the vibrant life of the area. Overtown was a place known for its nightly entertainment, exotic restaurants and active churches. Celebrities such as Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Josephine Baker, Billy Holiday, Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin and many other artists performed year round at the Sir John Hotel, Mary Elizabeth Hotel, the Lyric Theater and other Overtown establishments. In addition, many prominent Blacks such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Zora Neale Hurston, Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson stayed in Overtown when vacationing in Miami. Over the years Overtown lost its magic. Many of its core residents moved out of the area as Jim Crow laws were overturned and Blacks had more choices in where they could live. In the 1960s, two interstates were constructed through the heart of the neighborhood, displacing many residents. In the 1970s, urban renewal programs called for the demolition of housing in Overtown, displacing even more residents. In the 1980s, civil disturbances rocked the neighborhood and many buildings were destroyed, abandoned or fell into disrepair. It became and still is one of the poorest neighborhoods in the South Florida metropolitan areaSouth Florida, but since 2000 the Overtown Renaissance, a movement to restore the neighborhood, has begun. Over the next five years, middle-class housing will continue to be built in the area, as the downtown Miami area enfringes on Overtown. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overtown%2C_Florida

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