The Towner January/February Issue Volume 1 | Page 12

FEATURED STORY

The Historic Lyric Theatre
“Colored Town”, Miami’s Harlem of the South.
Overtown was the place to be. In the late hours of
the night, Towner’s would walk NW 2nd Avenue
where it was not uncommon to pass the likes of Nat
King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday and many
others. There was no fanfare involved in seeing
these stars as they were considered to be home in Overtown. Because of Jim
Crow and the segregation laws of the South, prominent entertainers would perform on Miami Beach, however, would be forced to leave afterwards because
they could not room in Miami Beach Hotels. Night life goers in Colored town
would pack night clubs like the Fiesta, the Rockland Palace, the Harlem Square,
and the Flamingo Room to name a few, awaiting artists to perform and party into
the wee hours of the morning. Nestled in the heart of the Little Broadway District
stood The Historic Lyric Theatre.

A FULLY EQUIPPED 400-seat theater built, owned and operated by Geder
Walker, an enterprising

Georgian Black

Man who came to Miami prior to 1900.

Enter the 1960’s Overtown began to lose
its luster. Urban renewal and construction
of two expressways tore the community apart.¹ For years, many organizations
have sought to revitalize the former metropolis and usher in a new vibrant renaissance. Timothy Barber, Executive Director of The Black Archives History and
Research Foundation is on the front lines, working hard to reopen The Lyric Theatre and bring various forms of entertainment and education back to Overtown.

¹Ref. The Black Archives History and Foundation Website, Wikipedia and information from Public
Domain