Stories with 'Liberty City' tag

The walls that divided Miami

Last February, in honor of Black History Month, I watched two different documentaries about Miami’s Black history (and present): “Swing State Florida” and “When Liberty Burns.” Both films made mention of something I had never heard of: a physical wall that separated — and segregated — the Liberty Square housing project in Liberty City from […]

/ January 12, 2023


Defining food deserts and food insecurity in Miami

Want to know more about the history and factors behind food deserts in Miami? We dug into the issue.

/ February 24, 2020


The legacy of Liberty Square

WHAT: The Liberty Square housing project. Created as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal plan, it was the first public housing project in the Southeastern U.S. and provided a new housing option for Overtown’s segregated black residents. WHY IT MATTERS: In the 1960s, Liberty Square became densely populated, living standards declined, and violence increased. And in […]

/ February 25, 2019


Which black Miami pioneers helped shape Liberty City? Here are some names to know

We dug into Miami’s history to find a list of black leaders that helped shape Liberty City’s history.

/ February 15, 2019


Video: Claps for Mr. Yap

People say Mr. Yap is crazy. But ask him, and he’ll tell you he’s just “crazy happy.” George Yap migrated from Jamaica to Miami in 1976 with $50 in his pocket. With the help of family and friends, he founded Leasa Industries in 1977 inside a dilapidated warehouse in Liberty City. Today, his company is […]

/ February 13, 2019


Video: Inside the Historic Hampton House

Just outside Liberty City, you’ll find Brownsville, a neighborhood frequented by influential athletes, entertainers and civil rights leaders during the fifties and sixties, when Miami was segregated. Brownsville is home to the Historic Hampton House, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. first rehearsed a draft of his “I Have a Dream” speech and organized strategic […]

/ February 7, 2019


Video: Liberty City’s best kept secret – Conch salad in a nail salon

We didn’t think we’d find Miami’s best conch salad inside a nail salon, but we did. In 1988, Willie Brown took over his dad’s nail salon, Nails by Daddy, and he’s been a household name in Liberty City ever since. They call him “Daddy.” Fourteen years later, after a trip to the Bahamas, he decided […]

/ January 31, 2019


How Miami’s favorite Uncle has stayed so relevant for decades

From politics to coaching champion football teams, here’s how 2 Live Crew’s Uncle Luke has remained so relevant in Miami.

/ August 2, 2018


After walkouts, what’s next for Miami students and the gun control debate?

A group of Miamians decided to build on the energy from Wednesday’s #NationalWalkOut by gathering more than 100 students from across Miami to talk about gun control.

/ March 15, 2018


Is climate change gentrification really happening in Miami?

Homebuyers are beginning to look for higher ground. Much of it is in low-income neighborhoods like Little Haiti and Liberty City.

/ May 17, 2017