Black Miami residents walk Overtown to expose gentrification and displacement

On a warm Saturday afternoon, a group of residents, activists and community leaders gathered at Gibson Park in Overtown not just to stroll through its streets, but to reclaim them as their own. The walking tour, coined “This Is Our City,” became the first in a series organized by The Black Collective , a grassroots group devoted to building Black political, economic and social power in Miami-Dade County.

For more than two hours, participants walked through historic sites and listened to stories of resilience, displacement and survival, reflecting on what the neighborhood once was — and what it’s still fighting to become.

“This is about preserving the culture of Black Miami,” said Moise “Moe” Simbert, organizing director for The Black Collective. “We want to make sure that people who co