Thoughts on Overtown

I tried a variety of ways to get the photo to appear on the blog. While it seemed to have worked last time I used a Carlebach photo, this time, it did not want to appear on the post. Here is the link before you read the analysis. http://merrick.library.miami.edu/u?/asm0530,1943

An initial examination of “Residences in Overtown Miami” depicts the city’s socioeconomic disparity. One cannot avoid thinking of terms such as “poverty” or “race”. Yes, while these words begin to define this neighborhood’s state, the details suggest more. The rickety windows, makeshift porches, and crumbling paint tell a story of a struggling population. Not only do they deal with “poverty,” or the products of an unplanned city, but a neighborhood trying to maintain itself. I cannot help but stare into the woman’s eyes. Though hard to see, her destitution and hopelessness radiate and provide a hope that the homes lack.

Tucked in a shadow of color and wealth, Overtown acts as the home for most of Miami’s locals. People refer to Overtown as a “problem” with no clear solution. I suppose they forget to look past the living conditions. To use their terminology, the “answer” though lies within reach. The woman’s decision not to sit in the corner expresses this. To gain momentum, a movement has to start from the ground-up and makes its way to a higher power. People in the community must disregard their world and decide to “leave the porch”. This woman stands out as a figure, a greater symbol for an area’s potential future.

Can one person change an established history? The photo’s angle showing similar homes make the woman’s efforts appear futile. Her accomplishments will not change her neighbor’s decisions and actions. Another pair stands on the porch. No one chooses to live in poverty. But choices comprise a level of individuality that contrasts with the generic homes. How many years before Overtown residents realize their position and derive the courage to rise above a city’s “racial” and “economic” boundaries? I have faith that they will.