Biscayne Bay "Wade-ins"
On May 9, 1945, six African American men and women clad in bathing suits courageously waded into the Atlantic Ocean at the “whites-only” Baker’s Haulover Beach (now Haulover Park) northeast of downtown Miami. As a direct result of what became known as a “wade-in,” Virginia Key Beach (located on a barrier island east of the city) was dedicated on August 1, as a “colored-only” park. The creation of Virginia Key Beach was a symbolic victory for Miami’s African American community and the site immediately became a popular destination. By 1959, however, all county parks and beaches were desegregated after another peaceful protest, when a group of African American women and men visited the segregated beach at nearby Crandon Park.
This session will explore how artists and community members keep these stories of protest alive. The webinar will be moderated by Kate Fleming, member of Ʒһ’s Stewardship Council and founder and director of Bridge Initiative, a nonprofit that connects art and science, creating public art for environmental advocacy.
This program is associated with Ʒһ's report and digital exhibition Landslide: Demonstration Grounds about public protest sites that shaped American attitudes and ideals.
Fleming will be joined by:
Loni Johnson—multi-disciplinary visual artist born and raised in Miami, FL. Through movement and ritual, Johnson creates healing spaces for Black women and explores how ancestral and historical memory informs how, when, and where we enter and claim spaces.
Dejha Carrington—arts worker and co-founder of Commissioner, an art membership program that helps people collect the work of contemporary artists in their cities.
Athalie Edwards—Executive Director of the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust.
Gregory W. Bush—Former Associate Professor of History at the University of Miami and Director of Institute for Public History at University of Miami. He is the author White Sand Black Beach Civil Rights, Public Space, and Miami’s Virginia Key (2016).
Learn more about the speakers.
1.25 LA CES™ professional development hours will be available to attendees.