OUR MISSION
PRESERVE THE HISTORY
OF SOUTH DADE &
TO IGNITE ITS
ECONOMIC VIBRANCE
THE HISTORY
In 1949 Captain Frank Crawford Martin was a trail blazer. He envisioned and developed Richmond Heights as a self sufficient "little town" that would have all of the amenities that a family could desire. You see Capt. Martin was White and to build a community specifically for Black veterans was a bit of a leap for 1949. He did this as a good sound business decision. He did not have a desire to be the creator of social change…but he did. He orchestrated many firsts for Blacks.
It was all thanks to the Black Sky Caps that worked at Pan American Airlines in 1949. These men were also World War II veterans and were in search of homes for their family. They knew that Pan American Airlines co-worker Captain Martin was the owner of acreage in an undeveloped area of South Dade County. They urged him to build homes for them. This land is now known as Richmond Heights. The historic society provides the vehicle to harness their truths - to validate each experience and to document their story.
Our commitment to preservation and celebrating the pioneers of Richmond Heights has branched to focus on South Dade as a whole. This rich history of South Dade encompasses additional communities such as Perrine, Coconut Grove, Goulds, Homestead, and Florida City.
OUR MISSION
The mission of the organization is two part. It shall be the collection, preservation, and the dissemination of material and information related to the history of Black South Floridans. We shall disseminate information to underserved Black South Florida communities. By doing so we wish to inspire, nurture, and instill a resilient Spirit for life. We are also charged to provide cultural events to ignite the economic vibrance of South Dade by amplifying the viability of the community.
