History on the Other Side of the Tracks

Miami's role in the civil rights movement lies hidden just on the other side of the tracks, as a small village continues to defy the odds and lead the nation on the road to social justice, and it would mean Crossing Overtown to get there.

Crossing Overtown explores the long narrative of racial conflict in Miami, from its roots in the reforms of Reconstruction, through its incorporation under dubious representation and continuing on through one of the earliest civil rights movements in the country. For Delrish Moss, Crossing Overtown would mean carrying the personal burden of that history on his shoulders as he became the first African American Chief of Police in Ferguson, Missouri shortly after the murder of Michael Brown. This incident would accelerate the Black Lives Matter consciousness, and shine a new light on the continuing dilemma of police brutality. Miami has always been a progressive City, yet the social mores of traditional Southern culture would influence its early formation, even as highways, glass and concrete walls would eventually swallow up the streets of Overtown. Chief Moss takes us on a tour of his hometown to reminisce on the village that was once considered the Harlem of the South, yet would witness its own deterioration through years of neglect, irresponsible planning, and a renewed gentrification that now threatens its cultural identity. Through candid conversations with some of Florida's most distinguished historians, we follow the narrative of racial bias and violence that would permeate through the very fabric of a people betrayed at every turn.