MIAMI (AP) — Authorities are looking into an act of vandalism targeting a mural featuring baseball icons Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso. This mural is part of a series celebrating baseball players in Miami’s Overtown area.
The damage was detected on Sunday by a 7-year-old boy who questioned his mother about the meaning of the words and Nazi symbols, community representatives mentioned during a press briefing.
City personnel have since placed wooden boards partially over the depictions of Robinson and Miñoso, who was an Afro-Cuban player. These murals are positioned along a fence at Dorsey Park, a site where Negro League teams formerly played baseball.
“I know you may not be able to show it on television, but we need the community to uncover the hurt and the hatred that is existing. The reason why this keeps being perpetuated is because we keep covering it up,” said Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant, an executive director with the city of Miami Black Police Precinct.
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.”
