Overtown, Historic Black neighborhood in north Miami, United States.
Overtown is a neighborhood in north Miami in the United States, spreading northwest of downtown between several main roads. Brick buildings from the early decades of the 20th century stand beside low modern apartment blocks and small shops along wide streets.
Workers who came to Florida for railway construction in the late 19th century founded the first streets of this settlement near today's downtown. During segregation the area grew into a center of African American life in south Florida, but lost many residents after the 1960s through highway construction.
The area was once called Colored Town and sat along the main road where African American travelers stayed at hotels and visited clubs from the 1920s to the 1960s. Today restored buildings and public artworks along the streets show the artistic legacy of the community.
During the day you can walk along the main streets and look at murals and historical facades, in the evening some areas are less busy. A metro station connects the neighborhood with other parts of the city and makes it easier to reach.
In the 1930s and 1940s one street was called the Harlem of the South because well-known musicians stayed and performed here after their shows at Miami Beach. An old police building recalls that African American officers were only allowed to work in this neighborhood at that time.
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