Unearthed photos reveal Overtown’s vibrant history in new Black History Month exhibit – NBC 6 South Florida

Black History Month kicks off this week, and a powerful new exhibit is shining a light on Overtown’s rich and complex history.

The exhibit, called Sepia Vernacular, features photographs unearthed from the City of Miami Planning Department, offering a rare glimpse into life in the 1940s and 50s.

It was a time when Overtown was a vibrant, yet segregated, community that helped shape South Florida. The images, many covered for 30 to 40 years, reveal what life looked like back then.

For James McQueen, executive director of the Southeast Overtown Park West CRA, the exhibit hits close to home.

“History for me, for me, it is interesting because I lived it,” McQueen said. “I grew up when Miami was a segregated south, and so my world was Overtown. I did not have many experiences outside of what was then called the central Negro district.”

With Black History Month underway, McQueen hopes the exhibit encourages families and students to learn, reflect and connect with Overtown’s history in a meaningful way.

Sepia Vernacular is open to the public through the month of February at the Lawson E. Thomas Court Center, 1021 Northwest 2nd Avenue. The exhibit is free and offers a powerful way to celebrate Black History Month in South Florida.