HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Ron Frazier-Presentation Against SR.5Presentation To The City Of Miami Commission
Against The City Of Miami Board Agenda Item
That Replaces The Historic Virginia Key Beach Park Trust
By
Ronald E. Frazier
Chairman/CEO Of BAC Funding Corporation
Board Member, History Miami Museum
Former Chairman, Historic Hampton House
Retired Architect/ Urban Planner
Date: October 13, 2022
Submitted into the public
record for item(s) SR-5
on 10/13/2022, City Clerk
I am here to speak against the resolution that abolishes the Virginia Key Beach Park Public Trust. The Virginia Kev
Beach Trust has overseen the Park and its restoration since 1999 and should be allowed to finish its iob.
If this project was in any other community, we would not be here in this chamber having this discussion today, The following
statements will illustrate my point.
• If this historical area was related to Henry Flagler, Julia Tuttle or Jose Marti and the discussion was to get rid of it
and replace it and not build a museum in their honor. What do you think the response would be from this commission?
• Now let's put some Blackness in this next example. If this historical area was related to the legendary Black Cuban
General Antonio Maceo and the discussion was to get rid of it and replace it and not build a museum in his honor,
what do you think the response would be from this commission?
Fortunately, at almost 80 years old, I can remember the negative impact of the Jim Crow and segregation era in the south,
For Black people, it was horrendous in terms of the negative treatment and oppression tactics. I do not attend city commissions
meetings anymore, but this issue is very important, and we must tell the story of the Black Immigrant Experience in
Miami, Florida before it is lost forever. On my first trip to Miami, I had the opportunity of visiting Historic Virginia Key Beach
Park and the Historic Hampton House in 1964. There needs to be more sensitivity displayed toward the Black Diaspora's
historical cultural heritage, as well as some attitude adjustments. Virginia Key Beach Park is one of Miami's Black
Legacies and must be saved, remembered and the museum built,
The Historical Significance And Ecosystem importance Of Virginia Key Beach Park
Virginia Key Beach Park is an environmental and historic landmark in the City of Miami and was the first beach in Miami
designated for Black residents during the Jim Crow era and opened in 1945 in response to a successful civil rights campaign
led by local Black activists protesting the exclusion of Black residents from Miami's beaches. The new Park attracted over
1,000 visitors on any given weekend and served as a vibrant community hub for Black Miami from 1945 until the 1960s. The
Park is now on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, It remains a regional symbol of civil rights activism and
exemplifies the historical, cultural, and social trends of Miami's Black community. In addition, Virginia Key Beach Park retains
its historic integrity along with a rich of natural and exotic tropical vegetation.
The Museum - A Showcase Of The Black Immigrant Experience in Miami.
The Virginia Key Beach Trust is requesting that it remains in place and be allowed to finish its responsibility. The Trust wants
the museum to be constructed with the vision that was included in the master plan with input from the Black community. The
primary purpose of this museum is to put emphasis on the both THE BLACK IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION ON
THE ENDANGERED ANIMAL SPECIES AND NATURAL FLORA AND FAUNA THAT IS PART OF THE PARK PROPERTY,
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In today's climate of cancel culture and not telling the whole truth about history, it very important that Black history,
culture and heritage become a prominent legacy in the City Of Miami. It is up to this commission to make it happen.
This museum should proceed forward and be fast track with a timeline for design and construction for the following
reasons.
• Miami -Dade County has deeded over the property
• Miami -Dade County has appropriated the funds thru the GOB
• The vision is included in the master plan
• Commissioner Joe Carollo and Alex Diaz de la Portilla are on record indicating their support and have offer
to put some funds into the proiect
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• The City Of Miami has passed a4494sow Bond and some of those funds can be allocated to the museum
• The City Of Miami can streamline its procurement process to accelerate the development schedule.
Submitted into the public
record for item(s) SR.5
on 10 13 2022, City Clerk