In 1963, during the civil rights movement, at least 250,000 people marched through the streets of Washington, D.C., where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
Many people are unaware, however, that King rehearsed the speech in the Brownsville neighborhood of Miami.
King was a frequent guest at the Hampton House Motel & Villas in the early 60s, now the Historic Hampton House, Hampton House manager Edwin Sheppard said.
“One of the main reasons for preserving a place like the Historic Hampton House is that there were a total of 15 green book locations here in Miami, and they’re all gone,” Sheppard said. “This is the last one left standing that still tells the story of those greats like Dr. King.”
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Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Chaka Khan, are among the celebrities whose photos adorn the walls of the Historic Hampton. King’s one-bedroom has a 60s-style stove, pictures of him, a lamp, and a landline rotary phone.

The Historic Hampton House — now a nonprofit museum at 4240 NW 27th Ave. — is significant because it provided seclusion, particularly during the segregation era, Sheppard said. White-only hotels did not allow African Americans.
Dr. King is remembered for his contributions to the civil rights struggle, but his legacy goes beyond that, he said, adding that’s why his life is celebrated. He gave his famous speech at the Washington Monument during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, on Aug. 28, 1963.
“It was human rights. We have to remember that when Dr. King came here to Miami, he spoke on minimum wage,” Sheppard said. “It was more human rights and civil rights to people of all walks, color and race.”
A vintage-style radio in the room where MLK stayed at the Hampton broadcasts the news conference about his visit, where he spoke about the influx of Cuban migrants and how African Americans would have to compete with them for jobs.
De-Ira Acosta visited the Hampton House while on a two-week vacation in Miami from Denton, Texas. King had made an impact on not only the lives of Black people but also the nation, which is why both this structure and his legacy should be preserved, he said.
“If King would not have endured so much, then we would not have this liberation to walk and talk as freely as we can without having to look over our shoulder,” Acosta said. “We’re going to continue to celebrate Dr. King.”
This story was originally published in the Key Biscayne Independent, a WLRN News partner.