What to Know
- Originally a stretch of highway connecting Chicago and Miami, the name has brought up controversy in recent years.
A longtime Miami-Dade commissioner plans on proposing an effort to change the name of Dixie Highway to honor one of history’s most famous African-Americans.
Dennis Moss, who plans on leaving office in late 2020, told the Miami Herald he plans on starting a movement to rename the road after Harriet Tubman, known for the efforts to help slaves escape using the Underground Railroad, in areas where the county has jurisdiction.
“She is the antithesis of Dixie,” Moss told the paper. “Dixie is something that’s symbolic of our inhumane institution of slavery. The complete opposite would to be rename these stretches.”
Originally a stretch of highway connecting Chicago and Miami, the name has brought up controversy in recent years – with some cities changing the name, including Riviera Beach changing the name to honor former President Barack Obama.
The county controls most of the roadway, also known as U.S. 1, with some exceptions including the portion that runs through Homestead and an area in Northeast Miami-Dade.
Homestead Mayor Steven Losner told the paper that a change “inevitable” and said it’s “only a matter of time” before a name change takes place. State Rep. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat from Hollywood, said he would back legislation for the change.
