
thats how they destroyed Overtown during the 50s with I-95

my home
The Moon Over Miami: Exit 3A: Did One Mile of Interstate 95 Destroy Overtown? by Seth Furman
Exit 3A: Did One Mile of Interstate 95 Destroy Overtown? by Seth Furman
Exit 3A: Did One Mile of Interstate 95 Destroy Overtown?
In 1956, the community of Overtown in downtown Miami was changed forever. The racial war between Caucasians and African-Americans reached its climax when the decision was approved to construct Interstate 95 right through the prominent Black neighborhood. Now, over 56 years later, the effect of that decision is still evident today.
The controversial construction of I-95 has been researched before by other people, however, they never looked into the impact that it had all the way up to the present day. In this project, resources will be gathered from the 1950s with the construction of the highway all the way up until the 2000s to see if the impact of the highway was the main reason behind Overtown’s fall. If other reasons behind Overtown’s fall is discovered, that will be argued against I-95 to see which one was more detrimental. This essay will be directed toward novices of the history of the city of Miami. Thus, background information regarding Overtown and the development of I-95 through the town will be discussed.
Throughout the course of this class, we have discussed how racial barriers divided the city of Miami to this very day. The construction of I-95 is one of the prime examples of how a city was divided between races and how the dominance of the Caucasians led to the eventual collapse of historic Overtown. Not only that, but the I-95/I-395 interchange represents how four divisions exist in the city physically. I-95 is only one example of many that split up the city. Research papers, books, and other materials gathered from the Richter Library on the University of Miami’s campus will help supply answers to these questions as I seek to see whether or not Interstate 95’s construction was the reason for Overtown’s fall