Little Broadway / 2nd Ave. Corridor

Overtown’s 2nd Avenue Corridor of music halls, restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues came to be known as ‘Little Broadway’ in the 1920s. On this street, you’d find  Rockland Palace, the Ritz Theater, The Harlem Square Club, Clyde Killens’ Pool Hall, Odell’s Bar & Grill, and The Mary Elizabeth Hotel & Birdland Fiesta.  It wasn’t uncommon to pass right by Nat King Cole, Bojangles, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, or Ella Fitzgerald when walking the street. 

Residents would often see Mary MCloud Bethune visiting her son who ran the Pharmacy store located in the Mary Elizabeth Hotel. The likes of Langston Hughes read poetry in the Lyric Theater and made appearances at Mr. Zion Baptist Church, W.E.B. Dubois would always seek hotel accommodations in “Miami’s Little Broadway” between trips in and out of the country.

Because of the extensive nightlife, permanent residents of color in Miami established businesses which were sustained economically by the Broadway feel. 

Listen to a recording of Sam Cooke live at Harlem Square, 1963: 

Sam Cooke – Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963 – Bring It On Home To Me

Sources:

The Black Archives History & Research Foundation of South FL, Inc.

AT&T Miami-Dade County African-American History Calendars, 1994-2012, 2014-2017 Item 14: 2007/2008 Calendar

Catalyst Storymap

This is stop number 16 on the Historic Overtown Legacy Trek! Download the map here, or click here to see the next stop: Clyde Killens’ Pool Hall and Rec Center.