Racial Segregation
In the early 20th century, Miami had a “color line” which limited blacks to living in a specific section of the city. Throughout the 1900s, the Dade government started to play an immense role in implementing public and private housing segregation in the city of Miami; this is called “racial zoning”. Even though racial zoning was outlawed by the U.S Supreme Court, it continued until the 1950s in Dade County. Racial zoning was first implemented during the New Deal era in the 1930s along with other policies, such as “redlining”, a policy that created a prejudiced lending system so blacks would not be able afford to buy houses or keep their current house. This policy was the outcome of the federal agency, Home Owners Loan Corporation, which was established in 1933. With these policies, it kept blacks confined to living in “Overtown”. [1]
As the city of Miami continued to grow, the New Deal housing policies provided opportunities for the city government to move blacks out of Overtown to what is now known as Liberty Square in Liberty City. The discussion of relocating blacks to make room for white neighborhoods and developments continued for years. In 1937, the Dade County Planning Council made a 20 year plan that consisted of establishing three towns and parks specifically for African Americans. These towns were to be located west of Perrine, west of Opa-locka, and at Tamiami Trail. [2]
By 1959, Florida Supreme Court rules that a “slum” can be taken by the local government and be sold to a private investor for renovation if this will benefit the public’s health and the community’s general morality and welfare. This ruling was made after the Grubstein v. Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Tampa. [3]
In 1987, the Miami-Dade county map projected that black residential areas in 1990 would almost match that of the 1938 residential map. [2]
Still, to this day most African-Americans still live in the northern part of Miami in cities like Overtown and Liberty City. [4]
As the city of Miami continued to grow, the New Deal housing policies provided opportunities for the city government to move blacks out of Overtown to what is now known as Liberty Square in Liberty City. The discussion of relocating blacks to make room for white neighborhoods and developments continued for years. In 1937, the Dade County Planning Council made a 20 year plan that consisted of establishing three towns and parks specifically for African Americans. These towns were to be located west of Perrine, west of Opa-locka, and at Tamiami Trail. [2]
By 1959, Florida Supreme Court rules that a “slum” can be taken by the local government and be sold to a private investor for renovation if this will benefit the public’s health and the community’s general morality and welfare. This ruling was made after the Grubstein v. Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Tampa. [3]
In 1987, the Miami-Dade county map projected that black residential areas in 1990 would almost match that of the 1938 residential map. [2]
Still, to this day most African-Americans still live in the northern part of Miami in cities like Overtown and Liberty City. [4]
Grubstein v Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Tampa Case
In 1959, the Florida Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Tampa urban renewal agency saying that it can take one of Phillip Grubstein’s private African American rental properties, in “The Scrub” of Tampa, and sell it to another investor for redevelopment. “The Scrub”, like Overtown, was a financial burden to the city government. It generated little tax returns and used up a substantial amount of police and fire services. The Florida Supreme Court ruled that any “slum” area “could be condemned and sold off en masse with little regard for individual properties within a designated urban renewal zone.” [4]
After this case, Governor Collins of Florida set out to use urban renewal in the whole state. The dispute between these landlords and whites officials were mainly where to put the growing poor African-American population after clearing the slums and the city taxes on the slum houses and apartments. They also had concerns about more slums developing if nothing was done to them. However, because of landlord resistance in Miami, demolition of these slums and “scrubs” would not occur for several more years. [4]
After this case, Governor Collins of Florida set out to use urban renewal in the whole state. The dispute between these landlords and whites officials were mainly where to put the growing poor African-American population after clearing the slums and the city taxes on the slum houses and apartments. They also had concerns about more slums developing if nothing was done to them. However, because of landlord resistance in Miami, demolition of these slums and “scrubs” would not occur for several more years. [4]
Sources:
[1] Mohl, R.A. (2015). The Second Ghetto Thesis and The Power of History. .America: History & Life.
[2] Mohl, R.A. (2001). Whitening Miami: Race, Housing and Government Policy in Twentieth-Century Dade County. The Florida Historical Quarterly, 79(3). Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30150856
[3] Connolly, N.D.B. (2015). Historical Studies of Urban America: World More Concrete: Real Estate and the Remaking of Jim Crow South Florida. Chicago, IL, USA: University of Chicago Press.
[4] Kessner, J.L. (2007) Racial and Ethnic Conflict in South Florida: Hurricane Andrew and the Housing Crisis. Wesleyan University. Retrieved from http://wesscholar.wesleyan.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=etd_hon_theses
Images:
Figure 1: Mohl, R.A. (1995). Making of the Second Ghetto in Metropolitan Miami, 1940-1960. Journal of Urban History, 21(3), 395-427. doi: 10/1177/009614429502100305.
Figure 2: “Where Black Non-Hispanics Live, 2010.” Retrieved from http://www.miamidade.gov/planning/library/maps/census-2010-where-blacks-live.pdf
[1] Mohl, R.A. (2015). The Second Ghetto Thesis and The Power of History. .America: History & Life.
[2] Mohl, R.A. (2001). Whitening Miami: Race, Housing and Government Policy in Twentieth-Century Dade County. The Florida Historical Quarterly, 79(3). Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30150856
[3] Connolly, N.D.B. (2015). Historical Studies of Urban America: World More Concrete: Real Estate and the Remaking of Jim Crow South Florida. Chicago, IL, USA: University of Chicago Press.
[4] Kessner, J.L. (2007) Racial and Ethnic Conflict in South Florida: Hurricane Andrew and the Housing Crisis. Wesleyan University. Retrieved from http://wesscholar.wesleyan.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=etd_hon_theses
Images:
Figure 1: Mohl, R.A. (1995). Making of the Second Ghetto in Metropolitan Miami, 1940-1960. Journal of Urban History, 21(3), 395-427. doi: 10/1177/009614429502100305.
Figure 2: “Where Black Non-Hispanics Live, 2010.” Retrieved from http://www.miamidade.gov/planning/library/maps/census-2010-where-blacks-live.pdf