The Rich and Forgotten History of Black Coconut Grove

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
  • 5.0 (7)
  • HISTORY

The Rich and Forgotten History of Black Coconut Grove is a podcast by legacy residents of Coconut Grove, a small community in Miami, FL, with Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Through history, stories of triumph and perseverance and hopes for the future, as told by legacy residents, we’ll learn how heritage is powerful and empowers us.

Episodes

  1. 04/14/2025

    The Integration Problem

    Integration promised equity, but for Black Coconut Grove, it also meant the unraveling of a thriving community. In this gripping episode, residents reflect on how integration disrupted their neighborhoods, fractured support systems, and erased cultural identity. What do we gain—and lose—when progress isn't equitable? You can watch this episode and the rest of the series on ⁠YouTube⁠.

    25 min

  2. 04/12/2025

    Excellence

    How does a community pass down activism from one generation to the next? In Episode 3, we explore family legacies, youth empowerment, and how civic responsibility became a way of life in Little Bahamas. Hear firsthand how families organized for justice, education, and community preservation—then and now. You can watch this episode and the rest of the series on YouTube⁠.

    24 min

  3. 04/11/2025

    We Fight For Ourselves

    Meet the changemakers behind Miami’s most influential civil rights victories. This episode spotlights powerful community leaders like Dr. Ira P. Davis, Father Theodore Gibson, and Nurse Helen Bentley, whose efforts helped bring about monumental changes—indoor plumbing, Black police officers, and more. Learn how activism, faith, and strategy built a legacy of empowerment in Coconut Grove. You can watch this episode and the rest of the series on ⁠YouTube⁠.

    23 min
  4. The Origin Story

    04/10/2025

    The Origin Story

    The second season of The Rich and Forgotten History of Black Coconut Grove dives deeper into the community’s origins and resilience, emphasizing the vital importance of preserving history. The podcast highlights the challenges Black Bahamians faced in Coconut Grove, from systemic racism to their fight for homeownership and the unity they forged despite adversity. It sheds light on the influential figures in the community, like E.W.F. Stirrup and Helen Bentley, who supported and encouraged others to build a legacy. Through the residents’ memories, the season reveals the impact of G.W. Carver High School, local churches and businesses like the Dew Drop Inn, which fostered educational excellence, social life, and inspiration for future generations. Ultimately, it underscores the collective effort to protect and honor the history and culture of present day, Little Bahamas, especially amidst ongoing gentrification. You can watch this episode and the rest of the series on YouTube.

    29 min
  5. Hope for the Future

    10/18/2021

    Hope for the Future

    For transcript, visit here Loss of community through racism - but there is progress.

    19 min
  6. Success

    10/18/2021

    Success

    For a transcript, visit here "Mama always said that she wanted her children to get an education. She wanted us to be able to go to school and get an education, so we wouldn’t have to do what she was doing, cleaning up other folks’ houses." In this episode, we explore how the Black Bahamian immigrants settling in Coconut Grove prioritized education for their children, in the belief that it would set them up for better lives.

    18 min
  7. The Beginning

    10/18/2021

    The Beginning

    For a transcript, visit here  Vizcaya was the winter estate of James Deering, a wealthy, white Chicago-born industrialist, but that’s not Vizcaya’s whole or only story – or even close to it. To tell a more complete and deeper story, Vizcaya went to our neighbors in Coconut Grove, a community that pre-dates the incorporation of the City of Miami and was founded in the late 1800s by Bahamian pioneers. This is the beginning.

    24 min
  8. Trailer

    SEASON 1, EPISODE 1 TRAILER

    Trailer

    The Rich and Forgotten History of Black Coconut Grove is a 3-episode podcast by legacy residents of Coconut Grove, a small community in Miami, FL., with Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Through history, stories of triumph and perseverance and hopes for the future, as told by legacy residents, we’ll learn how heritage is powerful and empowers us.  Transcript: Leona Cooper Baker: I said that depends on who you ask. Carol David Henley Bird: Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I personally would prefer Black Coconut Grove. What do you prefer? Leona Cooper Baker: Some people thought it was okay to call it West Grove. I'm almost 85, I've always called it just Coconut Grove. Rebecca Peterson: Join us to explore the Rich and Forgotten History of Black Coconut Grove, a small community in Miami, Florida. Carol David Henley Bird: To tell you the truth, people who lived here a long time ago, if they came back and you said West Grove, they wouldn't know what you were talking about. Leona Cooper Baker: Exactly, that's true. Rebecca Peterson: The Rich and Forgotten History of Black Coconut Grove is a three episode podcast by legacy residents of Coconut Grove with Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Carol David Henley Bird: I can tell you this as well, this is the one thing that segregation did, is that as long as you kept us separate, it's easy to convince everybody that we are inferior. I didn't go around feeling that I was inferior to Whites, but it does make you apprehensive. Rebecca Peterson: Through history, stories of triumph and perseverance and hopes for the future as told by legacy residents, we'll learn how heritage is powerful and empowers us. Get it wherever you get your podcasts.

    1 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

The Rich and Forgotten History of Black Coconut Grove is a podcast by legacy residents of Coconut Grove, a small community in Miami, FL, with Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Through history, stories of triumph and perseverance and hopes for the future, as told by legacy residents, we’ll learn how heritage is powerful and empowers us.

Information