Miami-Ft. Lauderdale metroplex attracts over 12 million annual visitors; half of them are international.

Miami-Fort Lauderdale metroplex has the nation’s 4th largest African American and Afro-Caribbean migration since 1990; today it has over 700,000 African Americans and 18,000 black businesses.

Miami-Ft. Lauderdale metroplex can boast of an inordinately large 6,000 restaurants.

The cruise industry in South Florida is approaching $9 Billion annually.

Despite South Florida’s proximity to the yearly path of hurricanes, it is amazing that the vast majority skip by without major damage. Years of experience have taught locals to build high capacity drainage systems, hurricane resistant structures and heed evacuation warnings.

Fort Lauderdale has a manufacturing base that is a byproduct of Cold War Era government demand for communications and computer firms.

Indicative of Ft. Lauderdale’s surprising concentration of High-Tech companies, Gould Laboratories manufactured the world's fastest mini-computer in the early 1980s.

Natives or those who made a major impact while living here include:

Ebenezer Stirrup
One of the earliest Black homeowners in the city

Dana A. Dorsey
Early entrepreneur

Ray Lewis
NFL middle linebacker

Gedar Walker
Entrepreneur, built Lyric Theatre

Joseph Caleb
Famous union leader and martyr

Edwin Holland
Dance company founder

H.T. Smith
Attorney activist who of the Miami tourism boycott that triggered public officials to consider the rebuilding of the Royal Palm by a Black-owner/developer – Don Peeples

Donohue Peeples
Builder of the Royal Palm Resort

Dorothy J. Fields
Founder of Miami Black Archives, History & Research Center

Dr. James Sistrunk
Businessman & hospital founder

Dr. Von Mizell
Black hospital founder

Leona Collins
South Florida educator and hospital founder

Andy Ingraham
Founder and president of the National Black Hoteliers organization