Florida suppresses Black history, but a ‘Green Book’ Miami site is a way to fight back | Opinion

An interesting thing happened at the Historic Hampton House in Miami’s Brownsville neighborhood after Florida started attacking the way Black history is taught in public schools: A lot more people started visiting the museum.

Visitors were up by at least 30% over the summer compared to last year, the executive director told the Editorial Board. Private schools, churches, families, civic groups and individuals — and not solely African Americans — have been showing up in rising numbers for tours of the Hampton House, a symbol of Black history in Miami.

Of course, there were always plenty of reasons to go there. Historic Hampton House is a “Green Book” motel, on a list of places where Black motorists could safely stay in the Jim Crow South, and it’s been restored to look much as it did in its heyday. The building itself exudes cool, with striking Miami Modern architecture that was saved from destruction by dedicated community members, led by preservationist Enid C. Pinkney, and money from Miami-Dade County.

And the inn has a fascinating and important history. In the “Rat Pack” era of the ‘50s and ‘60s, it’s where Black performers and famous athletes who couldn’t stay on segregated Miami Beach headed for a glamorous night — people like Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Robinson, Berry Gordy, Althea Gibson and Nat King Cole.

More recently, it served as the setting for the 2020 film “One Night in Miami,” a fictionalized 1964 meeting of boxing legend Cassius Clay (before he became Muhammad Ali), civil-rights activist Malcolm X, football star Jim Brown and singer Sam Cooke. The movie (and stage play before it) is a lively discussion of race and politics in the United States.

But now there’s a new reason to go. In light of today’s politics in Florida, more people are interested in a place that educates visitors about Black history. That’s encouraging. A post-pandemic rush might account for some rise in numbers, but there’s also something much more significant going on. People are seeking out the information that the state is denying them.

Attack on minorities

That’s down to Gov. Ron DeSantis and his systematic marginalization of minorities, including African Americans. This summer, he continued to defend an “anti-woke” public school curriculum that says middle-school students should be taught the incredibly offensive idea that slavery had an upside — “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” And that came right after his administration blocked a new Advanced Placement course on African-American studies from being taught in high schools, saying it violates state law, was historically inaccurate and lacked “educational value.”

The state, through the actions of DeSantis and the Legislature, is attempting to marginalize the Black community as the governor continues his all-consuming quest to be president. But places like Historic Hampton House show just how important that history is.

Clay did, in fact, stay there after his upset victory over Sonny Liston at Miami Beach’s Convention Hall on Feb. 25, 1964. His (surprisingly small) suite has been reconstructed for museum visitors today. And the restored coffee shop in the 50-room motel, with a Caribbean mural on the wall and yellow vinyl stools, was the location for a famous photo that shows Malcolm X behind the counter, snapping his own picture of Clay after the big win.

Martin Luther King, Jr., stayed At Hampton House, too, and reportedly gave an earlier version of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech during a Hampton House event. A wonderful photo in the room where he stayed shows him in swim trunks in the middle of the Hampton House pool, a rare moment of respite.

Jacqui Colyer, executive director of the Historic Hampton House, remembers what it was like. She grew up in Miami and tells a story of learning that Jackie Wilson would be singing at Hampton House. That Sunday, she told her mother she was going to church, stopped at the church for a moment and then “hightailed it to Hampton House.” The 14-year-old was allowed to peek in and listen to the famous singer croon “Lonely Teardrops” before she was sent home again.

The work at Historic Hampton House isn’t finished. The non-profit that runs the place still needs about $2 million. There’s more restoration to be completed and programs to be developed that could make it self-sustaining. But in other ways, the museum and cultural center is fulfilling its purpose right now, far more than we ever thought would be necessary. If teachers can’t teach children about the importance of Black history, places like Historic Hampton House are helping to fill the void. Floridians can, and should, seek out other Black history sites, too, wherever they live.

It’s not a solution, but it’s something of a work-around. For now.

When a new generation visits the motel-turned-museum, Colyer wants them to see beyond the building. “I just want them to know the rich tradition and history of the Historic Hampton House and of the Brownsville community, and how great people walked the halls of this facility and walked the streets of this community,” she said. “Their contributions should not be forgotten or neglected.”

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This story was originally published September 12, 2023 at 12:35 PM.