Miami’s first Black cops remember “joy and pain”

Photos like those shown above capture the significant efforts of Miami’s first Black police officers. Their first headquarters, the Precinct and Courthouse opened May, 22, 1950.

Pinder leads colleagues in exposing youth to a proud legacy

Miami’s getaway resorts and pristine beaches may be one of the top choices for tourists today, but in years past, segregation kept both Black visitors and Black Miamians locked out. In fact, racial segregation, formerly the law of the land, extended to every facet of life. As the Black population surged in the 1940s, religious and community leaders demanded police presence and protection in Miami’s two overcrowded Black communities of Liberty City and Overtown.