On Thursday, January 30, 2025, the community gathered at the South Miami Senior Center to celebrate the life of local resident and artist Gail Alexander who passed suddenly.
The murals she created and completed throughout the community embraced the life of the community. Her works can be seen at Murray Park, in the Sensory Lab at the Mobley Center and on the walls at 64 Street and 62 Avenue, known as the Unity Wall.
South Miami commissioner Danny Rodriguez
REMEMBERING GAIL AS SEEN FROM THE PAGES OF SOMI MAGAZINE
On Saturday, February 19 in observance of Black History Month, South Miami residents and city officials met at a wall at the corner of SW 62 Avenue and 64 Street to usher in the painting of a South Miami Black History Mural. The wall is referred to as “segregation wall” among the black community. The mural, designed by South Miami glassmaker artist Gail Alexander will span 186 feet around the corner. Historic images will be painted on the wall including a portrait of Mr. Marshall Williamson, Ms. Smith’s Fish Market, Harlem Inn and the 1946 Mt. Nebo Church. Area students will be painting the mural during the spring break, joined by the organizing committee.
The Unity Wall A wall erected in the 1950s to segregate White and Black residents has taken on a different role. Renamed the “Unity Wall,” this vestige of the City’s separate but equal years will depict the history of South Miami’s traditionally Black neighborhood while celebrating a united city. The Unity Wall was officially dedicated in February 2024
