With tourism serving as its principal industry by the end of WWII, Florida had solidified itself as the preeminent leisure paradise among America's mainstream destinations. Dubbed the
"Magic City," Miami was the most popular retreat for the financially affluent and social elite. But Florida was neither magical nor paradise for thousands of colored residents who lived in
the country's southernmost state, nor its Negro tourists whose desires to vacation on the warm Peninsula were overcast by segregation and discrimination that touched every facet of black
life. The Miami Times, a black-owned and operated newspaper established in 1923, used its editorial and publishing power to expose the façade of Florida's "Magic City" as a welcoming tropical
haven. Founded by Bahamian-born H.E.S. Reeves who ran the newspaper with his son Garth C. Reeves Sr., the Miami Times financially and editorially supported efforts to desegregate Miami
schools, beaches, residential communities, public transportation systems and sports complexes. In 1948, Miami Times' management took a strategic role in the effort to destroy the racially
discriminating policy that governed the city's municipal golf course. This dissertation helps inject the Miami Times into the historical narrative of the civil rights movement in Florida.
This case study illuminates its activism between 1948 and 1958 by highlighting the weekly's effort to help abolish the "Monday-only" policy that restricted black golfers to a singular day of
access to the Miami Springs municipal golf course. Support of the legal challenge is but one example that demonstrates how the newspaper, as an agent of change, worked with other Miami
community leaders to improve conditions for the city's black population. The newspaper's support of the fight to integrate the city's golf course is evidence of its value as a conduit of
social and political change in Miami and the state of Florida. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2014. / September 22, 2014. / African-American Press, Black Press, desegregation, Florida black newspapers, golf course, Miami Times / Includes bibliographical references. / Maxine D. Jones, Professor Directing Dissertation; Maxine L. Montgomery, University Representative; Joseph M. Richardson, Committee Member; Jim P. Jones,
Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_253405 |
| Contributors | McLeod, Yanela Gordon (authoraut), Jones, Maxine Deloris (professor directing dissertation), Montgomery, Maxine L., 1959- (university representative), Richardson, Joe Martin (committee member), Jones, James Pickett (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of History (degree granting department) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource (246 pages), computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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