Miami-Dade Commission Votes To Rename Portions Of Dixie Highway

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Miami-Dade commission has unanimously approved a measure that will rename portions of Dixie Highway.

The resolution called for sections of the highway that the county has jurisdiction over to be renamed Harriet Tubman Highway.

"Harriet Tubman is the antithesis of what Dixie, Jim Crow and in human institution of slavery stood for," said Commissioner Dennis Moss.

Tubman's Underground Railroad spirited escaped slaves out of the south to Canada and the Bahamas.

The Miami-Dade County Commission has been kicking around the idea for some time. Many black South Floridians are offended by the name Dixie.

"The time is always right to do what is right," said Moss.

However, not everyone agrees.

During a public hearing section, some spoke out against the renaming of the road.

"I am greatly disappointed that hardly anyone here opposes the erasure of our history in Miami-Dade County. I, like so many of us in Dade County, believe that Dixie Highway should remain the same. As a matter of fact, the Sun-Sentinel, back in December, held a survey on who was in favor of renaming the highway and it showed out of the 100 that commented, 73 were against renaming the highway," said Christopher Monzon.

Mary Waters also opposed the renaming.

"But to replace the name South Dixie, East Dixie… only to turn around and replace it with another name others find offensive, you are jumping from fire into the frying pan," said Mary Waters.

Saying most of phone calls that came into his office were opposed, Commissioner Joe Martinez still went all in.

"If it is something that alleviates the pain for a segment of our community and it helps bring us together, I do not know if it will or not, I will go along with that," he said.

Historian Dr. Paul George believes we should not erase the past but acknowledge the reality.

"My stances, as a historian, is if you want to add a name to it, keep it Dixie Highway," he said. "Also Harriet Tubman a great heroine."

All 13 Miami-Dade commissioners supported the name change, a rarity in today's politics. Commission Vice Chairwoman Rebeca Sosa said in all her years in politics, she has never seen that before.

The vote is symbolic. While all commissioners voted yes, parts of the Dixie Highway/US-1 is a state road and the name change has to be approved by the Florida Legislature.

The sections are from SW 304th Street to SW 146th Court, from SW 232nd Street to SW 218th Street, and from SW 98th Street to Datran Boulevard.

The renaming also applies to West Dixie Highway from 163rd Street to NE 215th Street.

The resolution also calls for the state legislature to rename that portion of West Dixie Highway, State Road 909, from NE 119th Street to NE 163rd Street as Harriet Tubman Highway.

It also calls for the legislature to rename a portion of South Dixie Highway/ US 1, State Road 5, from the Miami-Dade/Monroe county line to State Road I-95 northbound as Harriet Tubman Highway.

The measure also urges Homestead to rename the portion of Old Dixie Highway from SW 312th Street to SW 304th Street to Harriet Tubman Highway.