Authorities are conducting an investigation after a mural depicting renowned baseball icons Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso was vandalized. This artwork is part of a series honoring baseball players situated in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami.
A seven-year-old boy discovered the damage on Sunday and questioned his mother about the meaning of the words and Nazi symbols, according to statements from community leaders at a press briefing.
City workers have since partially covered the murals of Robinson and Miñoso, an Afro-Cuban player, with wooden boards.
The murals are along a fence at Dorsey Park, where Negro League teams once played baseball.
Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant, executive director with the Miami Black Police Precinct, stated, “I understand it might be challenging to air on television, yet it is crucial for the community to expose the pain and hatred that prevail. This cycle continues because we persist in concealing it.”
On Wednesday, Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement that she is outraged by the “vile act of hatred.”
“We must treat this for what it is: a hate crime meant to instill fear and division. But we will not be intimidated. We will respond with unity, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to truth, justice, and the preservation of our history,” she said.
Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947 when he became the first black player, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Miñoso became the league’s first Afro-Latino player and the first black player for the Chicago White Sox.
The murals have been displayed in the park since 2011 and are a collaboration between artists Kyle Holbrook and Kadir Nelson and various community groups.
Police have yet to make any arrests for the vandalism.
“This was more than a defaced mural — it was an attempt to silence our story,” said Dr. Saliha Nelson, CEO of Urgent, Inc. “But we will not be erased. We will restore this mural and celebrate this space as a symbol of agency, pride, and excellence.”
