City of Miami (Historic Negro) Black Police Precinct and Courthouse Museum

Founders Day Weekend
2025-09-05 08:00 - 2025-09-07 17:00 (America/New_York) | City of Miami (Historic Negro) Black Police Museum, 480 NW 11th Stree, Miami, FL, 33136, United States

Lt. Archie McKay Pre-Celebration of 100th Birthday
2025-11-14 11:00 - 14:00
City of Miami Black Police Precinct and Courthouse Museum to Honor 100-Year-Old World War II Veteran and Retired Lieutenant Archie McKay
Community Fundraiser to Celebrate “We Too Sing America” – a Reflection of Black Service, Sacrifice and Pride as the Nation Approaches its 250th Anniversary
The City of Miami Black Police Precinct and Courthouse Museum proudly announces a Centennial Celebration and Community Day in honor of Lieutenant Archie McKay, a decorated World War II veteran and one of the last living officers from the historic “Negro-Only” Precinct. The event will take place on Friday, November 14, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 480 NW 11th Street, Miami, FL 33136, and will serve as a community-wide fundraiser under this year’s unifying theme:
“We Too Sing America.”
This annual theme—echoing the powerful words of poet Langston Hughes—centers the Museum’s 2025–2026 fundraising and programming efforts as the nation prepares to commemorate 250 years of the United States of America in 2026. The campaign seeks to uplift untold stories of patriotism, resilience, and cultural contribution that have long been omitted from America’s official narrative.
“Through the life of Lt. Archie McKay, we hear the steady drumbeat of a people who have always loved, defended, and improved this country—even when it refused to love them back,” said Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant, Museum Director. “We Too Sing America is not just our theme—it is our declaration that the African American story is central to the American story.”
Lt. McKay’s journey exemplifies that truth. Born in an era of segregation, he graduated from Booker T. Washington Senior High School in 1948, and just five days after his 18th birthday, he enlisted to serve his country in World War II. Upon returning home, he accepted a friendly dare from his peers to join the police force—an act of courage that would make history. In 1958, McKay joined the Miami Police Department at a time when Black officers were not permitted to attend the police academy, instead relying on their own intellect, discipline, and lived experience to serve with distinction.
Assigned to the Negro Precinct from until 1964, Lt. McKay served during the height of segregation until the federal government required the integration of all federal buildings. During his tenure, he became Miami’s first Black detective, revered for his ability to bridge the divide between law enforcement and the community. His service not only solved cases but restored faith within neighborhoods too often overlooked or marginalized.
Now approaching his 100th birthday on November 15, 2025, Lt. McKay stands as one of only three living officers who served at the original precinct—an enduring symbol of honor, discipline, and humanity.
The Centennial Celebration will feature reflections from civic leaders, musical tributes, and a special performance by the Booker T. Washington Senior High School Band, performing both the school’s Alma Mater and the historic “Toronado Flight” song in tribute to their esteemed alumnus.
Proceeds from this event will benefit the Museum’s “We Too Sing America” Fund, supporting historical preservation, youth engagement, and the creation of new educational exhibits leading up to the U.S. Semiquincentennial (250th Anniversary) in 2026.

Give Miami Day
2025-11-20
Your contribution on Give Miami Day is instrumental in helping us preserve and celebrate the rich history of local law enforcement in our community.
Thanks to your generosity, we’re able to enhance our exhibits, expand our educational programs, and reach more community members with our mission. Every dollar you donate will make a significant impact, and we are incredibly grateful for your partnership. For the Black Police Precinct & Courthose Museum, this day is our most crucial fundraising opportunity of the year, and your continued support is essential. The funds raised enable us to honor the legacy of Miami’s Black officers and educate future generations about their contributions.
Please mark your calendar and consider supporting the museum. Together, we can ensure that the stories and achievements of our local law enforcement history are preserved for years to come. We look forward to your participation in this year’s Give Miami Day and are grateful for your unwavering support.

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Everyday People Opening Reception
2025-12-02 14:00 - 17:00
The Everyday People Exhibit Is Coming to Miami! And we’re excited to host Part I & II right here in Overtown Soul Basel

Opening Reception:
December 2nd 2:00pm-5:00pm TICKETS REQUIREDVIP Art BaselOvertown Soul Basel
Museum Membership: Enthusiast, Advocate, Patron

RSVP

Everyday People Exhibit
2025-12-03 10:00 - 2026-03-02 17:00
The Everyday People Exhibit Is Coming to Miami! And we’re excited to host Part I & II right here in Overtown Soul Basel

VIP Art BaselOvertown Soul Basel
Museum Membership: Enthusiast, Advocate, Patron

RSVP

AN AFTERNOON WITH GARY TYLER
2025-12-07 13:30
Join Books & Books at the Black Police Precinct and Courthouse Museum for a discussion of Gary Tyler’s memoir Stitching Freedom.
In 1975, after being wrongfully charged with the killing of a white teenager and found guilty by an all-white jury, Gary Tyler was sent to Angola prison to die. He was only seventeen years old at the time, making him the youngest prisoner on death row in the United States. After more than four decades in prison, Gary Tyler was released in 2016. Despite massive evidence of his innocence, he was never exonerated. His case has become a symbol of the systemic racial inequalities in the U.S. criminal legal system.
Gary Tyler will be in conversation with museum director Terrence Cribbs-Lorrant, to talk about how he not only survived, but triumphed over this injustice. He will pay tribute to other incarcerated individuals who became his guardians and mentors and talk about discovering himself as an artist.
Reserve your Free Spot and Join Us
About the Book:
In the tradition of books by Albert Woodfox and Angela Davis, this gripping memoir of a wrongful conviction and time spent on death row in Angola prison shows how incarcerated people care for each other and fight for justice
In 1975, seventeen-year-old Gary Tyler was sent to Angola prison to die. A year earlier, he had been wrongfully charged with the killing of a white teenager and found guilty by an all-white jury, making Gary the youngest prisoner on death row in the United States
Following his conviction, Amnesty International and investigative reporters documented the brutal treatment, fabricated evidence, recanted testimony, and repeated injustices that led to his sentencing. Three times Gary was recommended for a pardon; three times Louisiana governors refused to accept the political risk. After more than four decades in prison, Tyler was released in 2016—but he was never exonerated.
This is not a story of mistaken identity or circumstantial evidence, but one of systemic injustice from an institution hard-wired into a legacy of slavery—in effect, this was a legal lynching. While detailing the injustice, Gary’s memoir is also a remarkable story of pride, forgiveness, community, and triumph. With insight and heart, he shows how he learned to reject bitterness and fight for freedom, helped by activists such as Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace on the inside and relentless support from a mass movement on the outside. Stitching Freedom is the page-turning narrative with which Gary reclaims his power.
About the Author:
Gary Tyler is an artist and a spokesperson for justice. As a teenager, he was framed for shooting a white teen in Louisiana and sentenced to death by an all-white jury. He spent more than four decades at Angola Prison, where he galvanized a movement that grew to have national and international support. In prison, Gary became a freedom fighter, a mentor, head of the Drama Club, a hospice volunteer and a quilt artist. Upon his release, he got involved in the fight to end the death penalty. His work is in the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in D.C and the Historic New Orleans Collection. Last year, Gary was awarded a Right of Return Fellowship and the 2024 Frieze LA Impact Prize, recognizing artists who use their talents to address social justice issues. He holds an honorary doctorate of fine arts from MassArt. Stitching Freedom is his first book.

About the Moderator:
Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant, known as the performing artist VesSouL, is a humanities/cultural curator with a special approach to performing arts. He serves as the Museum Director for the City of Miami Black Police Precinct and Courthouse Museum. Terrance is the creative conductor behind #BlackCollectorsGallery, inspiring Black people to collect and share Black art. Since 2005, Terrance has been pushing the motto You Make The Change. com, a motivational tool promoting personal accountability to see/experience the positive change you want to see. He is also increasing awareness of tokenized (black) art/ NFT within the black/brown community. His research and exhibit “The Red Line Letter: Our Eyes Are Open” was featured in the museum’s 2018 Soul Art Basel. Terrance’s written work, “The Rite to Riot,” is being reviewed for publication and was part of the National Organizations of Black Law Enforcement (N.O.B.L.E.) 2019 Conference.
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