Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum Chronicles ‘This Woman’s Work’

A new exhibition “This Woman’s Work: The Power of a Woman’s Touch” honors Black women in the judiciary and law enforcement in South Florida at The Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum in Overtown. Above, the precinct housed a courtroom where Black judges presided over cases involving Black defendants (Photo courtesy of Black Police Precinct &  Courthouse Museum)

Black policing in Miami was not always as integrated as it is today. Black officers were once marginalized. The Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum proposes to tell the story and imprint it into collective memory through its various exhibits, such as the recent “This Woman’s Work: The Power of A Woman’s Touch,” an exhibition honoring Black women in the judiciary and law enforcement in South Florida.

Scheduled to open on Friday, March 14 in the midst of Women’s History Month, the exhibit features an array of plates crafted from glass, mixed media print, and fabric, each representing the profound impact of the women being honored.

Set to debut on Friday, March 14, 2025, the new exhibition consists of 100 plates using glass, mixed media print, and fabric to showcase the profound impact of the first Black female police officers and justices in Miami (Photo courtesy of Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum)

Curated by Chief Anita Najiy, the exhibit “reflects the idea that the contributions and influence of women, especially Black women, are essential in shaping systems of justice, law enforcement, and the world at large.” “It symbolizes the nurturing, transformative, and often overlooked work of women in leadership and change-making roles. It emphasizes the subtle yet profound impact they have in their respective fields,” she says.

The exhibition is designed to be both educational and immersive. Each plate tells a story, capturing the struggles and triumphs of Black women in policing and justice who have broken barriers in their careers.

“This exhibition is about more than just history,” says Najiy. “It’s about ensuring that young Black girls can see themselves in these roles and understand the power of their presence in the legal system.”

“This Woman’s Work: The Power of a Woman’s Touch” will be on display at the Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum through Friday, April 4.

The museum is housed in a historic building that once served as both a police precinct and a courthouse exclusively for Black officers and citizens.

Built in 1950, during the Jim Crow era, the precinct, located in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami, was a direct response to the segregation that prohibited Black officers from working alongside their white counterparts. It remained operational until 1963, just before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 mandated greater integration.

The City of Miami dissolved the precinct in 1963 sending its 79 Black officers to work at the main police headquarters.

The Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum proposes to tell the story and imprint it into collective memory through its various exhibits (Photo courtesy of Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum)

“After its closure,” says Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant, director of the museum, “the building housed a few random tenants but soon became dormant, desolate, and a dilapidated eyesore for a generation of community members who were unaware of its history.”

The building was set for demolition, but an early 2000s effort by retired City of Miami police officers, led by Dr. Robert Ingram and Chief Clarence Dickson—the city’s first Black police chief—successfully preserved it.

According to Cribbs-Lorrant, the effort to preserve the building as a museum began when Lt. Otis Davis, inspired by visits to several museums and a growing passion for history, recommended to the Miami-Dade County Commission that the facility be designated as a cultural institution preserving collective memory  “Today, the museum stands as a testament to the past, preserving history and sharing the stories of yesteryears in a way that deepens visitors’ connection to this important institution.”

Guests to the museum can explore original holding cells, courtrooms, and historical artifacts that depict the realities of policing and justice in segregated Miami. The museum also features a replica of the bicycles that Black officers were given; they were not initially provided with police cars—cars were not available to them until several years later.

The curatorial idea emerged as a profound initiative by Chief Anita Najiy, the inaugural female Assistant Chief of the City of Miami Police Department, left. At right is Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant, the director of the museum. (Photo courtesy of Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum)

“It is my desire that visitors will be able to see themselves in the officers and within the communities that these patrolmen were deputized to serve,” says Cribbs-Lorrant. “The answer to many of our current challenges when it comes to law enforcement can be easily answered just by looking at how this Precinct and Courthouse navigated the community.  This Precinct and Courthouse is a pioneering example of what we now know today as ‘community policing practices.’”

The Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum tells the story of the first Black police officers in Miami but also the first Black judges.

The precinct housed a courtroom where Black judges presided over cases involving Black defendants. “Judge Lawson E. Thomas was the first Black attorney to present a case in Miami’s municipal court before a white judge, a groundbreaking moment in a time when this was prohibited,” recalls Cribbs-Lorrant. “He also became the first Black judge in the post-Reconstruction South, presiding over what was described as the country’s only court established purely along racial lines.”

Following a brief recess, the courthouse welcomed its second Black judge, John Johnson, whose family was among Miami’s earliest Bahamian settlers. “On a given day, these judges could hear up to 80 cases, serving a vital function in the community,” says the museum director.

Dedicated to preserving the history of Miami’s first Black police officers and judges, the Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum has maintained an active role in educating the public through rotating exhibitions with the long-term goal to inspired change, according to Cribbs-Lorant.

On Sept. 1, 1944, history was made when five African-American men were sworn in as the first Black police officers in the City of Miami. These pioneering officers were Ralph White, Moody Hall, Clyde Lee, Edward Kimball, and John Milledge (Photo courtesy of Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum)

Previous exhibitions, such as “Grief Not Guilty: Reclaiming Our Time,” have drawn attention to contemporary justice issues while tying them to the history of segregation.

“This museum exists because people—Black and white—believed in creating something better than the realities of segregation. Their efforts remind us that change is possible when communities come together with a shared vision for justice and equality.”

WHAT: “This Woman’s Work: The Power of A Woman’s Touch” 

WHERE: The Black Precinct & Courthouse Museum, 480 NW 11th St, Miami

WHEN:  Exhibit debuts with a luncheon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, March 14 featuring speakers including Trina Harris, CEO of Touching Miami with Love; Stephanie Daniels, former director of the Miami-Dade County Police Department; and Sybrina Fulton, founder of the Trayvon Martin Foundation. The museum’s regular hours are 10 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

COST: $25 luncheon includes exhibition, otherwise general admission is $10, $5 for students and seniors (ages 65 and older), children (ages 6 and younger) admitted free.

INFORMATION: (305) 329-2513 or historicalblackprecinct.org

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