Miami’s historic neighborhoods are not just backdrops to modern city life — they have vibrant legacies, each with its own unique story of struggles and triumphs. Established in 2018 by Haitian immigrant Jean Dondy Cidelca, Tap Tap Tours offers an immersive experience that connects visitors to Miami's deep cultural roots and highlights often-overlooked neighborhoods. Overtown, Miami’s historic Black community, is a key focus of the tour, allowing people to experience history on the ground level.
Cidelca, who holds a master’s degree in architecture from Florida International University (FIU) and has a background in preservation, combines architectural insight with cultural context. His tours celebrate Miami’s diverse communities, including Overtown, Little Haiti, Little Havana, Coconut Grove, and Miami Beach.
“I realized that while Miami is a melting pot, it's a global city,” Cidelca says. “The least I can do is have a platform to give back and connect people to their roots.”
The Black police precinct
The first stop on Tap Tap Tours is the Black Police Precinct and Courthouse Museum in Overtown. Established in 1950, this historic building served as the headquarters for Miami's African American police officers. It was the only U.S. building designed as a separate police station and court for Black officers and defendants.
“This museum isn’t just a collection of artifacts; it’s a response to humanity and the struggle of African Americans in Miami,” Cidelca explains.
During the Jim Crow era, African Americans in Miami were denied the right to serve as police officers or hold public service roles. The museum tells the story of how, in 1944, five Black men became Miami’s first African American police officers despite severe segregation. These officers had no headquarters, cars, or radios and could not carry guns. They had to wait for white officers to make arrests.
READ MORE: Overtown renaissance sparks hope and concern
The tour also includes a visit to the original holding cells, where visitors experience cramped, unventilated rooms used to detain prisoners.
“At any given time, this small space could hold up to 10 or 12 people,” says Cidelca.
The stark conditions reflect the harsh reality many African Americans faced during that era.
From 'Colortown' to Overtown
As the tour continues, Cidelca delves deeper into Overtown’s history, explaining how the neighborhood was once called “Colortown,” a reflection of Miami’s racial divisions in the late 1800s, when African Americans worked on Henry Flagler’s railroad. The name persisted until the 1960s when it was changed to "Overtown," linked to the segregationist policies of the time.
Overtown thrived in the 1940s and ’50s, with more than 45,000 residents. However, in the 1960s, the construction of I-95 displaced much of the community, with many residents moving to Liberty City or Miami Gardens.
The tour also stops at Jackson Soul Food, a landmark African-American restaurant in Overtown for over 70 years.
“It is the only restaurant that has existed in Overtown since the 1950s or 1960s, and it is still thriving and going strong,” Cidelca explains.
Overtown’s baseball legacy
Overtown is also a neighborhood that represents sports, specifically baseball. Cidelca leads visitors to Gibson Park and Dorsey Park, key sites for remembering the contributions of African American baseball players who played in the Negro Leagues.
“When it comes to baseball, this is the birth of baseball in Miami, believe it or not,” he says.
The baseball field is part of the legacy of the Negro Leagues, when Black athletes, including Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige, were excluded from Major League Baseball.
READ MORE: How the Negro League changed baseball — and America
“They weren’t competing for championships,” Cidelca explains. “Many of them were just playing for fun, but they did compete in exhibition games against major league teams.”
Cidelca recognized Josh Gibson as one of the best players, and the phrase “knock it out of the park” when players score a home run was attributed to his strength and talent for the sport.
Murals and memorials dedicated to Black excellence adorn the neighborhood, including tributes to figures like Josh Gibson, George Floyd, and Kobe Bryant.
The 'White House' of Overtown
As the tour progresses, Cidelca brings visitors to a historic building he calls the "White House of Overtown."
“I call it the White House of Overtown; you can call it a library, but it’s a little gem you only discover on a tour,” he says.
This land once belonged to D.A. Dorsey, Miami’s first Black millionaire, whose entrepreneurial vision shaped the city’s early development. Dorsey owned properties throughout Miami and even Fisher Island, which he eventually sold to Carl Fisher because racial segregation prevented African Americans from accessing the island.
Cidelca explains how Dorsey’s legacy lives on through his real estate endeavors and the land he donated to construct the library, which now stands in his honor.
Local business highlights
The tour also highlights local businesses that contribute to Overtown's resilience. One such initiative is “The Green Haven Project,” a nonprofit founded by Jorge Palacios to create community gardens and resource spaces in Overtown.
For over six years, the project has provided fresh produce, food pantries, and a safe space for the local community.
“This has also been like a safe haven too for the kids in the neighborhood that, unfortunately, are surrounded by people using substances,” Palacios says. “They get to escape here.”
On the land, residents can learn how to grow their food, knowing what’s in it, and connect with nature.
Another key highlight is Ebene, a Haitian-owned plant-based beauty brand founded by Fayola Nicaisse in 1999. Ebene specializes in organic skincare and herbal remedies, blending Haitian traditions with modern wellness practices.
“I wasn’t satisfied with the ingredients I saw in products here in America. I knew there had to be a better, natural way to care for our bodies,” says Nicaisse, whose brand has earned a loyal following in the Overtown community.
Overtown’s resilient future
The final stop on the tour is the Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex, one of Overtown’s most iconic landmarks.
“This theater opened in 1913,” Cidelca explains. “If you think of the Apollo in New York, we have our Apollo right here.”
The Lyric Theater has hosted numerous performances, from stand-up comedy to jazz concerts, and continues to serve as a cultural hub for the Black community in Miami. It also represents a point of pride, showcasing the ongoing vitality of Overtown despite the challenges it faces.
Cidelca explained how when Miami sought incorporation in 1896, the city lacked enough eligible voters, so for that year only, African American men were granted the right to vote. This temporary measure allowed the city to meet the required number of signatures, with around 100 African American workers playing a key role in the city's formal establishment despite being excluded from voting in the years that followed.
Cidelca reflects on Overtown’s evolution through gentrification. While upscale businesses like Red Rooster have replaced older establishments, the spirit of Overtown endures. He concludes the tour at Mount Zion Baptist Church, a resilient landmark that survived the displacement caused by the I-95 construction.
“I do tours here because of what it represents for Miami,” Cidelca says. ”It’s history that should not be forgotten.”
As Overtown continues to evolve, its cultural and historical significance remains a testament to the resilience and spirit of the Black community in Miami. Through Tap Tap Tours, Cidelca ensures that this legacy endures for generations to come.
This story was produced by The Miami Times, one of the oldest Black-owned newspapers in the country, as part of a content sharing partnership with the WLRN newsroom. Read more at miamitimesonline.com.
