The ceremony marking the spot where Arthur McDuffie was beaten serves as a reminder of the racial tensions that led to the Miami riots in 1980. McDuffie was a Black insurance agent who was severely beaten by police and later died from his injuries. An all-white jury acquitted the officers involved, sparking outrage and violence in the community. The reflection under a tree during a recent gathering highlights the significance of shared spaces for storytelling and community legacy, emphasizing how elders transmit knowledge and celebrate achievements often overlooked by mainstream media.
Earlier, Dr. Dunn had explained the significance of sitting under a big tree in the Black community. In every Black community there is a tree, where elderly Black men meet to impart their knowledge to a younger generation.
It was on such a day 45 years ago - May 17, 1980 - that Miami erupted in violence when word reached our city that an all-white jury in Tampa acquitted four white Metro Dade police officers in the death of Black insurance agent Arthur McDuffie.
Under the tree was where all the neighborhood news was told - the good news about Black accomplishments that never made the Miami Herald and hadn't yet made The Miami Times, the Black-owned newspaper.
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