Many of the ugly pages of history have been obscured or forgotten, but in Liberty City sits the remnants of Miami's history that won't soon be forgotten: the segregation wall or the "Buffer Strip" at Liberty Square Housing Projects.
In the 1930's there was a campaign for better house for Blacks in Miami. The conditions were poor in what was then known as "Colored Town"; so poor, in fact, President Roosevelt ordered construction of the first federally funded housing projects in the Southern US, Liberty Square. Those that moved into the units went from wash tubs and oil lamps to bathrooms and electricity.
Now, white residents were not happy about their new Black neighbors and as the housing projects went up, so did the segregation wall that stood over 4 feet tall, creating a literal color line in Liberty City.
Today, you'll find traces of that wall as well as what is and what use to be of the housing development, ensuring this piece of Miami history continues to tell a powerful story.
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