From Wikipedia article:

"Early Overtown called "Colored Town". Overtown is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Miami. In 1896 the City of Miami was incorporated when Henry Flagler, who was building the railroad, needed a place for workers to live. Because segregation and Jim Crow laws prevented Blacks from living within any area they desired, the land west of the railroad tracks was designated as “Colored Town.” This was the beginning of a unique Black community that is now known as Overtown. Despite segregation, Colored Town grew into a vibrant community. The people attracted for jobs made schools, businesses and churches flourish. Blacks created everything for themselves. In 1904 the City of Miami directory listed numerous businesses that included hotels, grocery and furniture stores, markets, barbershops, theaters, and nightclubs. Manufacturing was limited to the production of “soda water” at the Cola Nip Bottling company, owned and operated by two black men, Osbourne Jenkins and William Sampson. Tourists of all races and locals alike enjoyed the vibrant life of the area. Overtown was a place known for its nightly entertainment, exotic restaurants and active churches. Celebrities such as Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin and many other artists performed year round at the Sir John Hotel, Mary Elizabeth Hotel, the Lyric Theater and other Overtown establishments. In addition, many prominent Blacks such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Zora Neale Hurston, Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson stayed in Overtown when vacationing in Miami. Today many consider it dangerous to enter the city due to the high crime rate. Many of its core middle class and more successful residents moved out of the area to newer housing as Jim Crow laws were overturned and Blacks had more choices for where they could live. In the 1960s, two interstates were constructed through the heart of the neighborhood, which displaced many residents. In the 1970s, urban renewal programs called for demolition of older housing in Overtown. Although intended for improvement, these programs displaced even more residents. In the 1980s, civil disturbances rocked the neighborhood. Many buildings were destroyed and abandoned, or fell into disrepair. Overtown became and still is one of the poorest neighborhoods in Miami. Since 2000 the Overtown Renaissance, a movement to restore the neighborhood, has begun. Over the next five years, middle-class housing will continue to be built in the area, as the downtown Miami area presses on Overtown."