Black History Month in Greater Miami & Miami Beach: Legacy, Culture and What’s New

Black History Month 2026 arrives as both a moment of reflection and an invitation to experience how Black history, culture and innovation shape Greater Miami & Miami Beach in real time. Here, the stories extend far beyond museums or commemorative dates. They live in neighborhoods, reverberate through music and film, and find expression on dinner plates, stages and street corners across the destination.

Overtown Murals by Miami Artist Purvis Young. Credit: Provided by The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

From the storied streets of Historic Overtown and the shoreline of Virginia Key Beach to world-class festivals and culinary destinations, Greater Miami and Miami Beach remains a powerful platform for Black voices, past, present and future.

Culture, Film & Creative Expression

Few cities play host to Black creative expression quite like Miami. The American Black Film Festival (ABFF), now firmly rooted in Miami Beach, stands as one of the nation’s most influential celebrations of Black film and television. Each year, filmmakers, actors and industry leaders gather for screenings, panels and masterclasses that spotlight emerging talent while shaping the future of storytelling. The 2026 festival takes place May 27-31.

In South Beach’s Art Deco Historic District, The Betsy - South Beach has become a cultural hub dedicated to amplifying Black voices. Its ongoing jazz residencies, poetry readings, author talks and visual art exhibitions create an intimate setting for creative exchange. Throughout February, Afro-Cuban jazz and legacy performers will take the stage at the hotel’s Piano Bar, underscoring its commitment to year-round cultural programming.

Afrikin Art Fair 2026. Credit: Provided by The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Elsewhere, organizations like AfriKin connect Black artists, scholars and entrepreneurs through exhibitions, lectures and cultural exchanges. that bridge the African diaspora.

History Anchors & Neighborhood Stories

Historic Overtown, once known as the “Harlem of the South,” remains one of Miami’s most significant cultural neighborhoods. A vital stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit, Overtown welcomed legends including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Sam Cooke. Today, landmarks like the Lyric Theatre and the Black Archives Historic Lyric Theatre Cultural Arts Complex anchor the neighborhood’s revival alongside community-driven hospitality such as the Dunns Josephine Hotel.

Just across the water, Historic Virginia Key Beach stands as a symbol of resilience and civil rights history. Once the only beach accessible to African Americans during segregation, it now hosts cultural events, educational programming and community gatherings that honor its legacy.

Discover Haitian culture at Little Haiti Cultural Complex. Credit: Provided by The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In Little Haiti, Afro-Caribbean culture thrives through institutions like the Little Haiti Cultural Complex and Libreri Mapou. The neighborhood’s artists, musicians and entrepreneurs reflect the broader Black diaspora that defines Miami’s creative heartbeat.

Food, Hospitality & Black-Owned Businesses

Miami’s culinary landscape tells its own story of Black heritage and innovation. In Historic Overtown, Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster Overtown serves as a cultural cornerstone, blending culinary traditions with local flavors while investing directly in the surrounding community.

Newer concepts like Las’ Lap bring Afro-Caribbean flavors, nightlife energy and storytelling to the forefront. In February, the Kimpton Surfcomber Miami will host Las’ Lap Link Up as part of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival®. Black-owned favorite Kitchen + Kocktails, known for elevated comfort food and vibrant atmosphere, also continues to draw national attention. 

Even familiar brands tell deeper stories. For example, the Downtown Miami Starbucks, owned by a local Black family, highlights generational entrepreneurship and the lasting impact of community investment.

Music, Art & Live Performance

Music remains a living, breathing expression of Miami’s Black culture. From soul-forward nights in Overtown and Afrobeat-driven events like The Shrine: Afrobeats + Caribbean Heat to Curve Fest Miami at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, live performances animate neighborhoods year-round.

Legacy Section at Wynwood Walls. Credit:  Provided by The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

At Wynwood Walls, contemporary Miami-based artist Mojo brings fine art into public spaces through murals centered on young boys from his community. His work explores identity, representation and place while enriching the neighborhood’s visual landscape.

“The Cookout,” an immersive experience hosted by Key2Mia Tours, returns in summer 2026, offering visitors an intimate lens into Black-owned businesses, food, music and history through the eyes of locals.

Signature Events

Juneteenth traditions also take center stage, with events like Juke Joint at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts expected to return in 2026. These celebrations connect the roots of Black Southern culture with Miami’s contemporary creative scene through music, dance and storytelling.

Signature events further cement Greater Miami and Miami Beach’s role as a national stage for Black excellence. The Orange Blossom Classic, held each Labor Day Weekend at Hard Rock Stadium, blends HBCU football, culture and community pride into one of the country’s most anticipated celebrations.

More than a destination, Greater Miami & Miami Beach is a living narrative where Black history is not only honored but actively written every day by the entrepreneurs, artists, chefs, neighborhoods and institutions that continue to move culture forward.

Find the full list of the incredible Black-owned businesses shaping Greater Miami & Miami Beach’s identity HERE.

By ML Staff.