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Home My WebLink AboutLegislation-SUBCity of Miami Resolution Legislation City Hall 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, FL 33133 www.miamigov.com File Number: 12414 Final Action Date: A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, BY A FOUR -FIFTHS (4/5THS) AFFIRMATIVE VOTE, AFTER AN ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARING, CODESIGNATING THAT PORTION OF NORTHWEST 7TH STREET ROAD FROM NORTH RIVER DRIVE TO NORTHWEST 9TH COURT, MIAMI, FLORIDA AS "RUTH WOLKOWSKY GREENFIELD WAY"; FURTHER DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE HEREIN DESIGNATED OFFICES. SPONSOR(S): Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, Commissioner Christine King WHEREAS, Ruth Wolkowsky Greenfield was born on November 17, 1923, as Ruth Miriam Wolkowsky in Key West, Florida, and moved to Miami, where she was raised, at the age of six months; and WHEREAS, while growing up, she was unaware of the pervasive segregation of the time, except when visiting her grandparents in Spring Garden, across the railroad tracks from Colored Town, now called Overtown, a strange other world, in which black people had a servile role, doing laundry for white people; and WHEREAS, Ruth began studying piano at age 5, studied with Mana-Zucca, who moved from New York to Miami, graduated from Miami Beach High School in 1941, studied for two years at the University of Miami, then obtained her bachelor's and master's degrees in music at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor; and WHEREAS, while studying with the renowned pianist Artur Schnabel, Ruth broke racial taboos by dating a classmate who was a young black man from Jamaica; and WHEREAS, she returned to the University of Miami again to teach piano; and WHEREAS, in 1940, Ruth left Miami for Paris, France, in order to study composition with Nadia Boulanger, the teacher of successful composers including Aaron Copland and Astor Piazzolla; and WHEREAS, in Paris, Ruth married Miami attorney Arnold Merwin Greenfield, a graduate of Harvard Law School that enjoyed painting and cooking and listening to his wife play the piano. Her maid of honor at the small Paris wedding was a black pianist, Lois Towles from Arkansas.; and WHEREAS, Upon returning to segregated Miami, Ruth wanted to do something about the lack of integration in this community and the South and so, motivated by her friendship with school principal Mary Ford Williams, whose son, James "Jimmy" Ford, a Juilliard School graduate, had found doors to Miami's music establishment and competitions closed to him, in 1951 she founded the Fine Arts Conservatory, one of the first fully integrated schools for music, art and dance in the South; and City of Miami Page 1 of 3 File ID: 12414 (Revision:) Printed On: 9/6/2022 THIS DOCUMENT IS A SUBSTITUTION TO ORIGINAL. BACKUP ORIGINAL CAN BE SEEN AT THE END OF THIS DOCUMENT. J4i4 Lqi3 I1ori-3uiS File ID: 12414 Enactment Number: WHEREAS, during the early years, the school moved between black and white neighborhoods, holding classes in such locations as private homes, a Masonic lodge, the Young Men's Christian Association ("YMCA") and the most notorious location, a storage room for caskets that reeked of formaldehyde, in an Overtown funeral home; and WHEREAS, on May 9, 1953, Ruth's Fine Arts Conservatory student, 15-year-old James Ford performed at an otherwise all -white recital at Miami Memorial Library thanks to Ruth's having alerted Jack Bell, a Miami Herald columnist who wrote about the issue; and 0 ~ m z WHEREAS, by 1961, the Fine Arts Conservatory had raised enough money to buy a 0 z "' small run-down house in the vicinity of Northwest 60th Street and 7th Avenue that served as its ~ permanent headquarters, until it closed in 1978 and eventually expanded to six branches ▪ a 0 throughout Dade County; and N z WHEREAS,. Prominent community leaders, including Mary Ford Williams, • 0 0. Congresswoman Carrie Meek and Dorothy Graham, continued to steer talented students to the 0 0 school; and l- u z W Q W WHEREAS, Ruth also continued to teach for 32 years at what is today Miami Dade 2 m = College, Florida's first integrated college and founded Miami -Dade Community College's o • z ~- Lunchtime Lively Arts Series in the late 1970s and made it all -encompassing (including music, o 3Z theater, and literature) with a wide-ranging list of artists performing that included Isaac Bashevis = o W Singer, Dick Gregory, Odetta, The Ink Spots, Virgil Thomson and Gwendolyn Brooks. In the fall - ''' of 2011, the college rededicated its Wolfson Campus auditorium in Greenfield's honor; and WHEREAS, in 2013, director Steve Waxman released a feature documentary, "Instruments of Change" about Ruth and her history with the Fine Arts Conservatory that included Miami personalities Eduardo Padron, Marvis Martin, Garth Reeves, Carrie Meek, Judge Wendell Graham, Judy Drucker, and Charles Austin; and WHEREAS, the City Commission wishes to honor Ruth Wolkowsky Greenfield's numerous contributions to the City of Miami by co -designating Northwest 7th Street Road from North River Drive to Northwest 9th Court, Miami, Florida, as "Ruth Wolkowsky Greenfield Way"; 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. By a four -fifths (4/5ths) affirmative vote, after an advertised public hearing, the City Commission hereby co -designates that portion of Northwest 7th Street Road from North River Drive to Northwest 9th Court, Miami, Florida, as "Ruth Wolkowsky Greenfield Way". Section 3. The City Clerk is directed to transmit a certified copy of this Resolution to the Departments of Police, Fire -Rescue, and Solid Waste; the Miami -Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works; and 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. City of Miami Page 2 of 3 File ID: 12414 (Revision:) Printed on: 9/6/2022 File ID: 12414 Enactment Number: APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS: THIS DOCUMENT IS A SUBSTITUTION TO ORIGINAL. BACKUP ORIGINAL CAN BE SEEN AT THE END OF THIS DOCUMENT. City of Miami Page 3 of 3 File ID: 12414 (Revision:) Printed on: 9/6/2022 City of Miami Legislation Resolution City Hall 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, FL 33133 www.miamigov.com File Number: 12414 Fir . I Action Date: A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, BY A FOUR-F ' THS (4/5THS) AFFIRMATIVE VOTE, AFTER AN ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARIN CODESIGNATING THAT PORTION OF NORTHWEST 7TH STR• T ROAD FROM NORTH RIVER DRIVE TO NORTHWEST 9TH COURT, MIAMI, LORIDA AS "RUTH GREENFIELD WAY"; FURTHER DIRECTING THE CITY CLE TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE HEREIN DESIGNAT D OFFICES. WHEREAS, Ruth Greenfield was born on November 17,'1923, as Ruth Miriam Wolkowsky in Key West, Florida, and moved to Miami, where .he was raised, at the age of six months; and WHEREAS, while growing up, she was unaware time, except when visiting her grandparents in Spring Colored Town, now called Overtown, a strange other role, doing laundry for white people; and WHEREAS, Ruth began studying piano from New York to Miami, graduated from Mia years at the University of Miami, then obtain the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor; a f the pervasive segregation of the rden, across the railroad tracks from orld, in which black people had a servile age 5, studied with Mana-Zucca, who moved Beach High School in 1941, studied for two her bachelor's and master's degrees in music at WHEREAS, while studying with e renowned pianist Artur Schnabel, Ruth broke racial taboos by dating a classmate who wa a young black man from Jamaica; and WHEREAS, she returned tthe University of Miami again to teach piano; and WHEREAS, in 1940, R h left Miami for Paris, France, in order to study composition with Nadia Boulanger, the teacher of successful composers including Aaron Copland and Astor Piazzolla; and WHEREAS, in P.'ris, Ruth married Miami attorney Arnold Merwin Greenfield, a graduate of Harvard Law Schoo ' hat enjoyed painting and cooking and listening to his wife play the piano. Her maid of h•.` or at the small Paris wedding was a black pianist, Lois Towles from Arkansas.; and WHER S, Upon returning to segregated Miami, Greenfield wanted to do something about the lac •f integration in this community and the South and so, motivated by her friendship w school principal Mary Ford Williams, whose son, James "Jimmy" Ford, a Juilliard School gr- uate, had found doors to Miami's music establishment and competitions closed to him, in 1 1 she founded the Fine Arts Conservatory, one of the first fully integrated schools for music, ;, rt and dance in the South; and WHEREAS, during the early years, the school moved between black and white n:'ghborhoods, holding classes in such locations as private homes, a Masonic lodge, the Younc en's Christian Association ("YMCA") and the most notorious location, a storage room for caskets that reeked of formaldehyde, in an Overtown funeral home; and WHEREAS, on May 9, 1953, Greenfield's Fine Arts Conservatory student, 15-year-old James Ford performed at an otherwise all -white recital at Miami Memorial Librthanks to Greenfield's having alerted Jack Bell, a Miami Herald columnist who wrote ab %utthe issue; and WHEREAS, by 1961, the Fine Arts Conservatory had raised enou• money to buy a small run-down house in the vicinity of Northwest 60th Street and 7th Av ue that served as its permanent headquarters, until it closed in 1978 and eventually expand) to six branches throughout Dade County; and WHEREAS,. Prominent community leaders, including Mary ord Williams, Congresswoman Carrie Meek and Dorothy Graham, continued to ;steer talented students to the school; and WHEREAS, Greenfield also continued to teach for 32, ears at what is today Miami Dade College, Florida's first integrated college and founded Miam lade Community College's Lunchtime Lively Arts Series in the late 1970s and made i :II -encompassing (including music, theater, and literature) with a wide-ranging list of artists p:= rforming that included Isaac Bashevis Singer, Dick Gregory, Odetta, The Ink Spots, Virgil Tho son and Gwendolyn Brooks. In the fall of 2011, the college rededicated its Wolfson Campus ditorium in Greenfield's honor; and WHEREAS, in 2013, director Steve Waxmreleased a feature documentary, "Instruments of Change" about Greenfield and he history with the Fine Arts Conservatory that included Miami personalities Eduardo Padron, „.rvis Martin, Garth Reeves, Carrie Meek, Judge Wendell Graham, Judy Drucker, and C .ales Austin; and WHEREAS, the City Commission w es to honor Ruth Greenfield's numerous contributions to the City of Miami by co-d-.ignating Northwest 7th Street Road from North River Drive to Northwest 9th Court, Miami, Flor'Ja, as "Ruth Greenfield Way"; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT R"SOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA: Section 1. The recitals a finding contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are adopted by reference and incor,rated as if fully set forth in this Section. Section 2. By a four- + the (4/5ths) affirmative vote, after an advertised public hearing, the City Commission herebco-designates that portion of Northwest 7th Street Road from North River Drive to Northwest 'r" Court, Miami, Florida, as "Ruth Greenfield Way". Section 3. The 4` ity Clerk is directed to transmit a certified copy of this Resolution to the Departments of Polic Fire -Rescue, and Solid Waste; the Miami -Dade County Department of Transportation and ''ublic Works; and the United States Postal Service, and, if a State of Florida road, to the Florid. Department of Transportation, District Six Secretary for sign installation within the newly signated roadways. Sectio . 4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption. SUBSTITUTED APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS: dez, City ttor 8/27/2022