Less than two weeks before Juneteenth, a cherished symbol of Black history and resilience in Miami has been marred by hate.
Murals at Dorsey Park, where Negro League players once took the field before packed segregated crowds during the Jim Crow era, were defaced with racist and anti-Semitic graffiti, igniting outrage across the Overtown community.
The vandalism occurred sometime Sunday on murals honoring legendary Black baseball players Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso.
Swastikas were spray-painted over their faces, with added profanity and the n-word scrawled repeatedly across the wall.
“This is not paint – it’s pain”
“This really needs to be addressed,” said Nicole Crooks, a local community leader, speaking during an emotional news conference. “We need to honor the people who have done a beautiful job at trying to really honor and hold on to the history.”
Anthony Robinson, of the Overtown Children’s & Youth Coalition, stood near the murals and described the scene in stark terms.
“What you see behind me is not paint on the walls – it’s pain,” he said. “It’s hate, it’s disgrace. It’s an attempt to break down the pride of a proud community.”
Miami Police told CBS News off-camera that it’s rare to see two minority communities targeted at once in a single act of vandalism. Though they declined to speak on record, the department confirmed its specialized investigations section is now handling the case. Community members say police also increased their presence in the area following an impromptu meeting about the incident.
“We need the community to uncover the hurt”
On Monday afternoon, a blue tarp was placed over the defaced murals by a team from the Dorsey Park Community Center – a move that some residents felt was premature.
Community activist Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant explained why many wanted the graffiti to remain visible for now.
“I know you may not be able to show it on the television,” he said, “but we need the community to uncover the hurt and the hatred that is existing.”
Cribbs-Lorrant added, “The individual who did this feels that they have been embodied with an ability to spew their hate back onto a community that has not served them hate.”
Restoration underway before Juneteenth
Despite the hurt, residents are moving quickly toward healing. Local artist teams have been organized to do immediate touch-ups, with hopes of restoring the murals fully before Juneteenth.
“In the short term, a local artist will do touch-ups,” community members said. “They hope to have that done at least by this weekend before Juneteenth.”
Long-term plans are already in place to completely redo the murals – and the community isn’t starting from scratch. Funding has been secured, and artists are ready to begin the larger restoration effort.
“Within 24 hours of this being notified, an action plan has been put together, a prevention plan has been planned,” said community activist Metris Betts. “It’s an honor to say that this community has been doing the work to maintain the Historic Overtown neighborhood.”
Robinson said they are now working with both local and federal authorities.
“We will pursue hate crimes,” he stated.
As Overtown prepares to celebrate Juneteenth, the community is making it clear that while the scars of hate are fresh, the spirit of resistance and remembrance is stronger than ever.
