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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Item Cover PageGORY of AGENDA ITEM COVER PAGE File ID: #12444 Resolution Sponsored by: Mayor Francis Suarez, Commissioner Christine King A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION CODESIGNATING NORTHWEST 1ST COURT BETWEEN NORTHWEST 5TH STREET AND 8TH STREET MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS "LIGHTBOURNE PLACE"; FURTHER DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE HEREIN DESIGNATED OFFICES. 9V * IMCNIF 61ATIP o, sa tiq File Number: 12444 City of Miami Legislation Resolution Enactment Number: R-22-0332 City Hall 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, FL 33133 www.miamigov.com Final Action Date:9/13/2022 A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION CODESIGNATING NORTHWEST 1 ST COURT BETWEEN NORTHWEST 5TH STREET AND 8TH STREET MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS "LIGHTBOURNE PLACE"; FURTHER DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE HEREIN DESIGNATED OFFICES. WHEREAS, Alexander C. Lightbourne ("Lightbourne"), a Miami pioneer who was significant to the development of early Miami and lived at this area once known as 520 Northwest 4th Street, Miami, Florida: and WHEREAS, in 1896 Florida State law required a minimum of 300 registered voters for a city's incorporation; and WHEREAS, the City of Miami ("City") was incorporated with 444 citizens; and WHEREAS, Lightbourne was one of the 162 black men who voted for the incorporation of Miami to become a city and whose name appears in the incorporation papers; and WHEREAS, Lightbourne is noted by another Miami pioneer, Isidore Cohen as giving the most significant speech at the incorporation meeting of the city on July 28th, 1896; and WHEREAS, but not for him and these men, Miami would not have existed; and WHEREAS, Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal ("AME") church, a church having the distinction of being older than the City, was founded by Lightbourne in March of 1896 in his home; and WHEREAS, being a schoolteacher, Lightbourne played a critical role in ensuring that the African American children of Miami were provided with access to education, imploring the City's Commission to provide funding for African American children, and serving as the school superintendent for the African American school; and WHEREAS, before he moved to Miami, the very young Bahamian native first arrived in the United States in 1866 and made his way to Tallahassee; and WHEREAS, Lightbourne worked as a teacher with the Freed Men's Bureau, became an active member in the Republican Party, and was elected as Sergeant at Arms in the Florida Legislature in 1869; and WHEREAS, it was during this time that Lightbourne caught the attention of then Governor Harrison Reed, who appointed Lightbourne as a Justice of the Peace in 1871 for Gadsden County, where he also sat on the Board of Commissioners, became trustee of Quincy AME church, and worked as a teacher; and WHEREAS, Lightbourne also worked for the Railway Mail Service before moving to Jacksonville in 1885 and became master workman for the Knights of Labor Union; and WHEREAS, Lightbourne moved further down the east Florida coastline until he made his way to Miami in the spring of 1896; and WHEREAS, while in Miami Lightbourne was active in the Republican Party serving as a local party chairman; and WHEREAS, Lightbourne remained active in the church, politics, and education up to his death in 1908. He is buried in the Miami City Cemetery; and WHEREAS, the City of Miami Commission paid honor to Lightbourne's contributions during their commission meeting in February 2021, and the Greater Bethel AME church did the same during their 125th anniversary in March of the same year; and WHEREAS, there is one building in Overtown, on the grounds of the Greater Bethel AME church, that pays homage to Lightbourne's many contributions to City; and WHEREAS, the City Commission wishes to honor Alexander C. Lightbourne's numerous contributions to the city by co -designating Northwest 1 st Court between Northwest 51" Street and 81h Street, Miami, Florida, as "Lightbourne Place"; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA: Section 1. The recitals and finding contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are adopted by reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section. Section 2. The City Commission hereby co -designates that portion of Northwest 1 st Court between Northwest 5t" Street and 81" Street, Miami, Florida as "Lightbourne Place". Section 3. The City Clerk is directed to transmit a certified copy of this Resolution to the Departments of Police, Fire -Rescue, Solid Waste, the Miami -Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works, the United States Postal Service, and, if a State of Florida road, to the Florida Department of Transportation, District Six Secretary for sign installation within the newly designated roadways. Section 4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption. APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS: 1 Una ndez, City Httor iey 8/26/2022 NOTE #1: Pursuant to the resolution, this item became effective immediately upon adoption by the Commission. NOTE #2: Per Directive, City Clerk's Office transmitted on 10/12/2022.