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A mural celebrating African American history at Dorsey Park in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood has been defaced with racist graffiti, including a swastika and the N-word, according to organizers of the project.
The vandalism appeared on a section of the mural at NW 17th St. and NW 1st Ave., part of a historic public art effort led by the MLK Mural Project, Urgent Inc., and Touching Miami with Love.
Painted in 2012, the mural was created to honor the cultural legacy of Dorsey Park, once home to the Negro Leagues’ Ethiopian Clowns.
Artist and community organizer Kyle Holbrook, who founded the MLK Mural Project, led the effort to commemorate African American icons and local history. The mural features figures such as Jackie Robinson, whose image was among those defaced.
“This was an act of hate, but it will not define us,” Holbrook said. “This mural was born from a community’s pride, history, and power. We will restore it—stronger, bolder, and with even more purpose. Black history is American history. And no spray paint can erase that truth.”
Local leaders, artists and residents are organizing efforts to restore and expand the mural, using the incident as a call for unity. Community members are being encouraged to participate in the restoration process as a show of resilience and solidarity.
The mural’s original goal, to uplift African-American stories and legacy, now carries an added message: that hate cannot erase history, organizers said.
Mauricio Maldonado is a digital editor for CBS Miami and has been a digital journalist in the South Florida area since 1997. Mauricio started at the Miami Herald in 1990 and transitioned over to their online team in 1997. In 2001, he moved north to lend his talents to SunSentinel.com, where he spent 17 years. Mauricio has been with CBS Miami since 2018.
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