M E M O R A N D U M
To: Honorable Mayor and Town Council
From: Rafael G. Casals, ICMA-CM, CFM, Town Manager
Date: October 28, 2020
Re: Renaming of South Dixie Highway (from S.W. 112th Avenue/South Allapattah Road to S.W. 184th Street/Eureka Drive) to "Harriet Tubman Highway"
REQUEST
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A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA, EXPRESSING STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE RENAMING OF SOUTH DIXIE HIGHWAY/U.S. 1 FROM S.W. 112TH AVENUE/SOUTH ALLAPATTAH ROAD TO S.W. 184TH STREET/EUREKA DRIVE TO THE "HARRIET TUBMAN HIGHWAY;" AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The Town of Cutler Bay's (the "Town") municipal limits include portions of South Dixie Highway/U.S. 1 from S.W. 112th Avenue/South Allapattah Road to S.W. 184th Street/Eureka Drive. Under its present moniker, South Dixie Highway represents a troubling time in our nation's past, marred by the inhumane celebration and unconscionable profit of the perils of racism, segregation, and the atrocities of slavery.
Born enslaved as Arminta "Minty" Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland around March of 1822, Ms. Tubman would go on to change both her name and caste as she unapologetically proclaimed her right to liberty by successfully escaping the bonds of slavery and wherein freedom for oneself was insufficient when others remained in bondage. The unconquerable American hero, Harriet Ross Tubman, was an abolitionist and political activist who dedicated her life to the universal plight for freedom for all.
It is only fitting that South Dixie Highway's current nomenclature be replaced by the matchless legacy of a warrior whose heroic and selfless fight for freedom and justice has served the best interests of Miami-Dade County, the State of Florida, and the nation, and has undoubtedly provided a direct and significant impact on Miami-Dade County (the "County").
On February 19, 2020, the County Board of County Commissioners adopted Resolution R-168-20, ...
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