Florida’s Juke Joint

Earlier this month, a woman who contributed much to Florida history passed away.

Here's an appreciation from Eliot Kleinberg:

Prominent Miami-area historian and preservationist Arva Moore Parks died May 10. She was a cherished mentor to this writer.

We'd like to take a moment to highlight Mrs. Parks, a Miami native. She is a Florida Women's Hall of Famer most known for working to preserve Harry Truman’s Little White House and the Biltmore Hotel.

She represented Miami with pride as she was the first of her family to be born there. Her father moved to the city as a young lawyer in 1930, the height of the great depression. They grew up in Little Havana during a time she describes as perfect before air conditioning. Children playing outdoors, "skating, biking and playing kick-the-can." Oh, don't we miss those days.

She wrote much of Miami's history. Here are some of our favorites:

Miami: Then and Now Flexibound (1992)

Harry Truman and the Little White House in Key West (1991)

Miami, the magic city | American portrait series (1981)

The Miami Herald called her a force to be reckoned with.

May her legacy live on.

Call us with a memory or story and leave it on voicemail at 850-270-8418. Your story could be featured on Reader Rewind, our digital radio show.

Till next time,

Your Florida Time Family

                                 (Click the gif above to listen to all episodes.)

🔊 Listen to episode 20. A Florida Time reader reads us a story about Harry T. Moore, an African-American educator, a pioneer leader of the civil rights movement, founder of the first branch of the  (NAACP) in Brevard County and president of the state chapter of the NAACP.

Do you have a Florida story to tell? A slice of personal Florida history, perhaps? Of course, you do, and we not only want to hear it, but we want to share it, too! Leave the Florida Time team a voicemail at (850) 270-8418.