Under clear South Florida skies, generations of residents, leaders and longtime community builders gathered at the Florida Room at Zoo Miami to celebrate the 76th Anniversary Richmond Heights Brunch, hosted by The Historic Society.
The annual event marked both a community milestone and the start of Black History Month, blending reflection, recognition and renewed commitment to preserving one of Miami-Dade County’s most historic Black neighborhoods.
Founded in 1949, Richmond Heights was one of the first communities in the nation built specifically for African-American World War II veterans and their families. Developed during segregation, the neighborhood became a pathway to homeownership and stability at a time when both were largely inaccessible to Black families.
In a press release announcing the event, Jessica Garrett Modkins, executive director of The Historic Society, emphasized the importance of active historical preservation.
“We are the protectors of our past and the curators of our collective memory,” Modkins said in the statement. “And we will continue telling these stories—boldly and beautifully.”
This year’s brunch highlighted businesses and organizations that organizers say help anchor Richmond Heights’ economic foundation. The 2026 honorees included J.L. Brown Development, Manifezt Foundation, Mike & Jackie’s BBQ & Catering Services, Richmond Heights Community Development Corporation, and SBC Community Development Corporation. Each was recognized for sustained service and long-term investment in the community.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava delivered keynote remarks during the event. According to the press release, she connected Richmond Heights’ legacy to the county’s broader economic growth.
“Black history is Miami-Dade history,” Levine Cava said in remarks shared by organizers, describing Richmond Heights as a model of community-driven development. She also noted Miami-Dade’s national standing as a leading destination for new small business creation and praised local entrepreneurs for strengthening the county’s economy.
One of the afternoon’s standout moments came from Dallas Garrett Modkins, teen president of Jack and Jill of America’s South Miami Chapter, who delivered an address titled “Black to the Future: Powered by Legacy, Driven by Vision.”
“To be Black in America is to live in the past, present, and future all at once,” Modkins said in remarks highlighted in the press statement. “Legacy without vision becomes nostalgia. And vision without action becomes a dream deferred.”
He urged young people to view legacy as a responsibility rather than a resting point, telling attendees, “We’re not just surviving systems—we’re redesigning them,” according to the release.
The brunch also featured live jazz from Al Johnson, known as “The Sax Man,” and included a benefit drawing supporting the Patricia Harper Garrett Educational Fund. Organizers said the scholarship initiative awarded $5,000 last year to a student at Bethune-Cookman University, continuing Richmond Heights’ longstanding emphasis on education.
Attendees were also introduced to a new partnership between The Historic Society and Paradise Television Network (WDFL, Channel 18.2). Through the collaboration, documentaries including HBCU Honors, HBCU Homecomings, and Miami’s Richmond Heights: The Black Shangri-La will air throughout Black History Month, expanding the reach of the community’s story across South Florida.
Seventy-six years after its founding, Richmond Heights remains both a historic landmark and an evolving community — one rooted in the vision of Black veterans and sustained by generations committed to protecting and building upon that legacy.
This is a Hy-Lo News Staff Report.
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