Miami – The legacy of Dr. Enid Curtis Pinkney lives on.

On November 22, the family of Pinkney, community members and local dignitaries paid tribute to the trailblazer, educator, historian and preservationist by renaming a street in her honor during a ceremony in the Brownsville community.

Motorists and pedestrians can now see Dr. Enid Curtis Pinkney Street at the southwest corner of N.W. 42nd Street between 27th and 29th avenues right next to the historic landmark Hampton House, where she boldly stood in front of a bulldozer to save it from being demolished.

Pinkey died on July 18 at the age of 92.

The ceremony inside the Hampton House included a Junkanoo parade with Pinkney’s family, Miami City Commissioner Chair Christine King and former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Barbara Jordan part of the procession reflecting Pinkney’s Bahamian roots.

Junkanoo is a celebration between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Keon Hardemon, who sponsored legislation to rename the street after Pinkney, called her an inspiration who raised the bar for fighting for equality and preserving one’s heritage.

“Dr. Enid Pinkney championed the preservation of many important landmarks that defined the rich history of Black Miami,” said Hardemon. “This tribute ensures that her legacy is celebrated and the rich history she championed continues to inspire future generations in Miami-Dade County.”

Pinkney’s defiant stance and efforts preserved the Hampton House as a historic landmark where famous Black celebrities stayed during the 1950s and 1960s while visiting Miami because segregation banned them from hotels in Miami Beach.

Thanks to her, the Hampton House is now a Black museum and a social gathering place including Black history events and concerts featuring top R&B, Jazz and Gospel artists.

Master of Ceremony Ruban Roberts, who has known Pinkney for years, said the community needs to find a way to memorialize people whose contributions impact lives.

"And what better way to do that than naming a street after them," he said.

"Today is a celebration for all that Dr. Pinkney has done."

Pinkney’s nephew, Gary Allen, said she knew about the street naming before she died.

"I think she was happy but it was hard to read her sometimes," he said. "I wasn’t sure how she really felt about it."

Allen said the sign reflects his aunt’s fighting spirit and the respect to one’s heritage and culture.

"She would never let you forget about where you came from," he said. "When I see the sign, it reminds me of the time we shared, pressing through the hard times and eating at the kitchen table and talking. It reminds me of how hard she was on me that helped me become a better man. The sign reminds me of her determination and strength and how she kept fighting [before she died]."

King said she will be forever grateful for the kindness Pinkney showed her. "She gave me wisdom and she gave me advice," said King, who collaborated with Hardemon for the street naming. "She was so passionate about many things. She took time to talk to me and guide me to make sure I’m on the right path."

Jordan said she appointed Pinkney to the Miami-Dade Historic Preservation Board after she requested it despite Pinkney not living in her district.

"As county commissioners, we make appointments that come from our own districts," Jordan said. "She asked me to appoint her even though she didn’t live in my district. And it was an honor and boy she made some waves."

Jordan said Pinkney pushed for funding for the Hampton House to preserve it and renovate the facility.

She said Pinkney wouldn’t stand for the county’s lack of funds excuse and got on the case of then-Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas.

He agreed and county commissioners agreed to fund the Hampton House.

"Dr. Pinkney got on the case and what a response," Jordan said. "I truly appreciate the kind of dedication this lady had. She was so powerful."

Pinkney was a first-generation Miamian as her family was from the Bahamas and grew in Overtown.

She graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and went on to Talladega College. She earned a master’s degree from Barry University and an honorary doctorate from Florida International University.

Pinkney worked as a social worker from 1953 to 1955, after which she worked in the Dade County Public School System until she retired as assistant principal at South Miami Middle School in 1991.

She was the first Black to serve on the Dade Heritage Trust and later became the group’s president.

Pinkney fought to preserve Bahamian history in its cultural backbone of Coconut Grove by leading an effort to build the Frederica Roberts Bahamian Museum of Arts.

The museum, which is located in the Black West Grove, also known as Little Bahamas, is dedicated to celebrating the Bahamian presence and contributions in South Florida including being the first settlers in Miami before the city incorporated in 1896.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who knew Pinkney years

before she entered politics, said she was a role model.

But people didn’t take her kindness for a sign of weakness as she fiercely stood up for what she believed in.

"She was sweet with a smile but she was also tough," Levine Cava said. "She was a role model for all of us."

Levine Cava said Pinkney underscored the importance of Black history in Miami-Dade, and used the Hampton House and Overtown as the cornerstones for African American achievements.

"Thanks to Dr. Pinkney, we have Black history right here in Miami-Dade County," she said. "We have rich history like Overtown, the Lyric Theatre, the Hampton House, and Miami Gardens, which is the largest Black city in Florida. We have a lot of things to celebrate Black History and she was instrumental for that. So, let’s continue her legacy and make her proud."