MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A historical marker honoring Arthur Lee McDuffie, a 33-year-old Black man whose 1979 death at the hands of white Miami-Dade police officers sparked violent protests, has been knocked down near the Design District of the county’s Overtown area.
The marker, erected in February at North Miami Avenue and 38th Street, was recently discovered broken from its base and leaning against a nearby building.
Miami-Dade County Public Works officials suspect it was struck by a vehicle, likely a truck, due to its proximity to the roadway.
The marker recounts McDuffie’s death and the resulting trial, where an all-white jury acquitted the officers involved, igniting three days of protests that left nearly 20 people dead and caused tens of millions of dollars in damages.
For three straight days in May of 1980, Miami’s Liberty City, Overtown and Brownsville neighborhoods burned following the acquittal of eight Dade County Public Safety Officers for the savage beating death of the ex-Marine, insurance agent and father of three.
Local residents initially feared the marker had been vandalized.
“It looked like someone sawed it off,” said local artist and activist Loni Johnson, who noticed the marker propped against a nearby building on Monday afternoon. “That marker is acknowledging and memorializing Arthur McDuffie — someone whose life was taken by racialized violence.”
Inspired by the death of A.J. Owens — a 35-year-old Black woman and mother of four who was shot and killed by her white neighbor in Ocala last year — Johnson’s work also honors McDuffie.
Johnson, who is working on an immersive art exhibition inspired by racial violence, said seeing the marker damaged was deeply unsettling.
“It shook my spirit in a way that … it’s not okay,” she added.
County officials retrieved the structure Tuesday and are evaluating how to repair it. They are also assessing whether its current location might need to be adjusted to ensure safety and accessibility.
Efforts to restore the marker are underway, with city officials emphasizing its importance as the community approaches the 45th anniversary of McDuffie’s death and the events that followed.
Johnson called for swift action to restore and protect the memorial.
“Whomever … chop-chop …. Let’s figure out what happened … replace it, and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”