Black Miami in the twentieth century /

Coconut Grove was one of many settlements that were central to blacks in Dade County; its history, and that of other nearby segregated communities, shaped the long, bitter history between blacks and whites over the past century and a half. Dunn has produced a model of local history by using all the unique events, personages, and economic trends to illustrate developments taking place in the large national context. The Overland and Liberty City riots in the 1980s mirrored widespread frustrations with limited economic opportunities, housing, and deep-seated police violence that blossomed after generations of abuse. Following the turn of the century, the increased availability of work resulted in a greater presence of blacks in southern Florida. Dunn illustrates how these people were exploited for cheap labor and for blocks of votes to suit the dominant white business community. Segregated life did not necessarily suffocate enterprise and talent. However, the spheres of black activity remained heavily circumscribed and brutally repressed, as demonstrated by the findings of a Dade County grand jury that the local police force was guilty of using a "crude electric chair" to extort confessions from black suspects. This dramatic anecdotal evidence is complemented by statistical information, photographs, and a wealth of data. A thoughtful discussion of recent Caribbean immigration, notably Haitians and Cubans, and its impact on the native black community also brings this study's relevance up to the moment. All levels. J. Kleiman University of Wisconsin Colleges