Street renamed to commemorate the generosity of black business owners

Miami – The woman who opened Miami’s first Bahamian restaurant in 1929 was recognized with a special street designation. This sign will help people find their way as well as reconnect with the past.

“Well, the sign is over there,” said Andrea Pratt.

Pratt is the granddaughter of Margaret Jane Thompson Mackey, and CBS4 walked with her when she first saw a street sign. It’s near where there used to be a seafood cafe.

“I feel very blessed,” she said.

She has been campaigning for two years for the city of Miami to make this happen, and on Wednesday it became a reality.

“Louis’s shop was there, so the restaurant was here,” Pratt’s sister, Antoinette Miller, said as we walked.

Opened in 1929, the family-run restaurant was filled with delicious Bahamian fare, from fried fish to braised conch. Muhammad also attracted celebrities like her Ali, but ultimately McKay would be remembered for her generosity.

“When people came from out of town and had nowhere to go, she gave them jobs in restaurants and places to sleep until they got up,” recalled Miller.

The restaurant had to close in 1969, along with many of Overtown’s black businesses, as part of an urban renewal program and I-95 extension.

“Look how this place has changed,” Pratt said.

Mackie died in 1968, but by then she had impacted the lives of so many, including those like Enid Pinckney, who worked to preserve black history in Miami. I was. She told CBS4 that she looked up to her friend growing up.

“What I did she could pass on to anyone,” Pinkney said.

It has led her to stand up for what is right and fight for causes such as preserving the historic Hampton House, a Green Book hotel during racism.

“What she did brought greatness into the lives of so many people,” Pratt added.

We hope that as drivers and pedestrians pass by, they will look up and discover the woman who left a lasting mark on Overtown’s community.

“Our young people need to hear these stories. If she could open a thriving restaurant that gives us hope when the world is going through the Great Depression If only she could do it,” said Gail Seay. City of Miami Constituency Issues said.

And in one of the footnotes to this story, there’s a typo that the billboard now displays near 17th and 5th Avenues. Miller said the city of Miami told her they were working to fix the problem.