Recent MCRJ Activities – Miami Center For Racial Justice

What We're Working On

We are busy! The Miami Center for Racial Justice is supporting New College, resisting book banning in Florida, and helping to save abandoned Black cemeteries.

Teach the Truth Garden on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The Miami Center for Racial Justice hosted a successful MLK Volunteer Day at our community garden in Overtown. Over 50 volunteers joined us to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy through service and learning.

The day began with a welcome by Gabriela, who works in the garden, and an inspiring lecture by Dr. Dunn on the history of Overtown and Dr. King’s life and work. Volunteers worked in teams to take on tasks including garden bed construction, planting, and beautifying the perimeter of the garden.

We also distributed banned books to attendees, providing opportunities for reflection and further education. The event concluded with a pizza lunch and closing remarks from Gabby and Chef Chrys, and a group photo to commemorate the hard work and meaningful contributions made by everyone.

This MLK Volunteer Day exemplified the power of community and the impact of collective action. Thanks to the dedication of our staff and volunteers we continue to live out our mission and teach the truth. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to this memorable and impactful day of service.

MLK Day of Service 2025

Teach the Truth Garden

The Teach the Truth Garden is located in Overtown on the corner of NW 3rd Ave. and NW 9th Street directly across from the Historic Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church. It was established to foster community engagement and provide healthy vegetables to neighbors in need. The Garden will also be a location for the Miami Center for Racial Justice to give banned books away to parents of students who no longer have access to these books in their school libraries. The Miami Center is proud to have partnered with lululemon, who will conduct Wellness activities in the garden on weekends. These include meditation, yoga, walking and jogging events. Dr. Dunn will conduct a walking Teach the Truth tour from the garden, taking visitors to historical locations nearby.

Standing up against the new Dept. of Education’s standards on Slavery

New College of Florida

The tiny New College in Sarasota has been targeted by Governor Ron DeSantis as the place “where Woke goes to die”. Dr. Marvin Dunn intends to offer a free virtual course on Black history for New College students this Fall. Dr. Dunn taught a class at New College as a guest lecturer in April. The Center has plans to take New College students and faculty on a Teach the Truth tour this Fall.

Resisting Book Banning in Florida Schools

The Miami Center for Racial Justice opposes book banning in Florida schools as it is being done by the DeSantis administration. Books are now being banned based on the political ideology of Governor Ron DeSantis. Books are being banned based on a complaint from a single parent. One parent was able to get a Florida school district to ban 182 books based only on her complaint. The Center is organizing a variety of community-based organizations to join in this fight. We are buying banned books to distribute to Parent Teacher Associations across the state. Leaving the school out of it, the parents may choose to give the banned book to their children. Banned Book Caravans are being planned for this summer to take place in several communities on the same day and at the same time.

Saving the J.W. Wright House

The Miami Center for Racial Justice is raising funds to save the home of J. W. Wright, the White storekeeper in Rosewood at the time of the 1923 massacre. His home was the only structure in the town that was not burned down. During the massacre, Mr. Wright and his wife Mary hid blacks in their home saving many from the raging mob. The home sits on thirty-five acres which the Center hopes to acquire after which we would offer the property to the United States Department of the Interior for it to become a national park.