The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutR-2019-125 The City, Providing that a Portion of an access Road Located in the City's West Lawn Cemetery be Named as ''Marvin Merritt Way''; Providing for Conflicts RESOLUTION NO. 2019-125 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA, PROVIDING THAT A PORTION OF AN ACCESS ROAD LOCATED IN THE CITY'S WEST LAWN CEMETERY BE NAMED AS "MARVIN MERRITT WAY"; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; FURTHER, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, in 1938, a young boy named Marvin Merritt witnessed the remains of approximately one dozen African Americans being exhumed from their graves at what was then known as the"Woodlawn Cemetery"; and WHEREAS, the remains were then moved across the railroad tracks and buried in a mass grave at the "Westside Cemetery", also known as the "Dania Beach Colored Cemetery"; and WHEREAS, the tombstones and monuments that once adorned the individual gravesites were broken and scattered about; and WHEREAS, in 1985, Marvin Merritt, along with two other men, Mr. Fred Beneby and Mr. William Hall, brought this story before the"Dania Beach City Council"; and WHEREAS, in April 1986, a memorial was erected in the West Lawn Cemetery to honor the remains of the early City residents whose graves had been disturbed; and WHEREAS, in honor and recognition of Mr. Merritt, the City of Dania Beach wishes to name a portion of an access road located within the City's West Lawn Cemetery to "Marvin Merritt Way"; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA: Section 1. That the above "WHEREAS" clauses are ratified and confirmed as being true and correct, and they are made a part of and incorporated into this Resolution by this reference. Section 2. That the City Commission of the City of Dania Beach establishes that a portion of road within the City's West Lawn Cemetery located at 1251 Southwest 12 Avenue, be named and be known as "Marvin Merritt Way". Section 3. That all resolutions or parts of resolutions in conflict with the provisions of this Resolution are repealed. Section 4. That this Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its passage and adoption. PASSED AND ADOPTED on October 7, 2019. ATTEST: THOMAS SCHNEIDER, CMC O ELLEN CITY CLERK �� 1�0� MAYOR e[/SHED APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS: THOM S J. NS RO CITY E 2 RESOLUTION#2019-125 .0 BEFaRE w 4 v a . t ' ms =tom F s ON 1 vivo ;_ :.. �I , K T. Lam.' � n _ AV I S'. t i r ' g -< e, .m Pik i b x , „ . : „ k- - _ c4 � m - 1Y i p '�..� yam.., _ •i t -r i Y ,s 0 4 w,. i 3 I ��tj. 1'i � S mil.� s 1 7. 1i i � ��}'• • � Y� :,+LL'P �` ��:.., � '•�.�• t i/�'� +*'./._ _fir ..y. - �'�--- • �tTr of xct f •� " _� All" . 1 J1 _ n� a y _ a 4 44 Ox k gun p; s j n m, a. I� � x , MEMORIAL UNVEILING SERVICE WESTLAWN MEMORIAL CEMETERY s a SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 1986 — 3:00 P.M. PROGRAM I INVOCATION Rev. T.N. Tucker, Pastor New Jerusalem Baptist Church PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Boy Scout Troop #436 OCCASION Mrs. Martha Delevoe Walker MUSIC Dillard High School Ensemble Marge F. Jenkins, Choral Dir. INTRODUCTION OF SPEAKER Mr. Fred Beneby, Jr. SPEAKER Mrs. Ruther Mae Carter MUSIC Dillard High School Ensemble ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mr. William T. Hall, Jr. Mr. Henry L. Graham REMARKS Mayor John Bertino Vice Mayor Chester Byrd City Manager Eugene Jewell g UNVEILING Mayor John Bertino a Vice Mayor Chester Byrd Mr. Marvin Merritt REFLECTIONS Mr. Marvin Merritt CLOSING PRAYER Rev. T.N. Tucker AFTER , FF And be ye kind-one to , another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven You. Eph. 4:32 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark Tk ee i honored ng a wrong . y 5d lywood and the United ayear." STAFF WRITER Churches of Liberia 8t Though the three were Surrounding Communi used to discrimination Some didn't know ties.Merrtt's award was such as riding in the back what the smell was.Oth- accepted posthumously of from bus and drinki segregated Wang ers were too afraid to-do by his family. anything about it. "Marvin was well de- fountains,they decided to But for many African- serving of this award," do something about it. American residents who said Sharon Anderson, "At first you feel the an- lived near the Dania who knew him from ger,"Beneby,said."So we Beach Colored Cemetery church."He was all about m cide dsto form a co - in 1938,itwas well known the community" where the odor came Beneby remembers something about it, but from. when Merritt first told we couldn't get a hat of The remains of about a him what happened at the people to work with us dozen African-American cemetery. because people were settlers who were buried "I didn't know what it afraid to talk to us about in a corner reserved for was till Marvin told me," it." "We worked behind the them at the whites-only said Beneby,who noticed r Woodlawn Cemetery the broken tombstones scenes and we talked to 1 were dug up, moved while 'visiting his 'the commissioners,"Hall across the railroad tracks mother's grave. "I just said. `We talked to people -- to the new cemetery,and thought it was a dump. in Dania, we talked to r dumped in a hole.Tomb- Marvin said, `No, those people in Hollywood,and stones,broken and scat- are dead bodies."' we told them what hap- tered,were laid in a heap Merritt was a boy when like t and said would e „ nearby. he saw prisoners labor like to see it corrected in Three Hollywood resi- through the night. such away that it would 1 dents from the Liberia "He used to sneak out be a positive thing for the neighborhood banded to- at night and go and watch community."gether to ensure that they from the woods," Hall Their perseverance received some dignity in said."This was done over was rewarded. their deaths. several nights." In 1986, a monument Marvin Merritt,Witliam "The stench that went was erected to honor the.. Hatt and Fred Beneby throughout Liberia was remains of those who 1 (� were recently honored unbelievable," Beneby were disturbed:City Dania r for their efforts during a said."Some of them had Beals from both Daania i ceremony hosted by Hol- not been dead more than Beach and Hollywood at- ' tended the ceremony at the renamed Westlawri Cl: HOW TO REACH U$ MemarialCemet Bene Beneby Hall and by hope (�+ DITOF3S to see the street that runs i ` RUSEN CUETO COMMUNfTY NEws MANAGING EDITOR 954-574-5330 through the cemetery KYARA LOMEN ASSISTANT COMMUNITYNEWS EDrrgR 954596-5607 named after Merritt. LAURENTOBON DESIGNER 954-596-5644 "We want people to RICKMENNING COMMUNFY SPORTS COORDINATOR 954-574-5323 know what happened in MIKE SLAUGHTER PHOTOGRAPHY EDrrOR 954-574.5327 the past,but we also think LAURA KOKUS CALENDAR EDrrOR 954-574-5358 that people need to think about improving their STAFF lives," Hall said.. "There t`10NATHAN GENERAL ASSIGNMENT 954-574-5372 are so many things that MARCUS need to be done,and you .: SERGYODIDURO MoaILEIOURNAusr i 954 698 NEWS should,, ]USt g0 out and d0-e CHRISGUANCHE MOBILEJOURNAusr 954698-NEWS t." BUSSINESS Sergy Odiduro can be reached DIANECLARK ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER 954-356-4010 atsodiduro@tribune.com. CUSTomER SERVICE 1-800-$48-6397 ania ,m,onument : erected es 1 By Charles Moseley t feel like I had gotten some re As the-five-foot high granite from this burden that monument was unveiled, Marvin ( �� N,: Y ...> plagued me and my family." Merritt, 54, one of 75 onlookers Both Merritt and Beneby h who attended a memorial j r ryt / " had several generations of r, ceremony last Sunday at the new- � � r t Y tions buried at the Phippen Ri ly re-named Dania Westlawn �;y' ..., °' �', location of the cemetery, Cemetery, tears of joy mixed EL eluding parents and ra with sadness welled up in his eyes arents, some of the origi as he recalled all the years that pioneers in the city of Dania. 1011 had passed and finally led to this ' r Fr,, "' y� y� r� � � , / x�, After visiting the cemeter! day. % �! %��`` `� ' % year ago the three entlen A& Dania Beach ciY o t officials l/ � �/ ,/ srr became concerned after disc, , f y, / . ,/ joined in the ceremony to honor / s t ,, �� , ing a pile of tombstones with those black Dania residents apparent PP place that they a whose remains had been ex- longed. homed over 40 /i/ /6 / //1/I'l /' ears. ago from /rH „ ,s / ;, Since then, the city has stepl what once was the integrated up¢ r zj ,,. l F up efforts to maintain Woodlawn Cemetery just nor- cemetery 0r yet#y��. / , r/ H,f/, and P ainted the ton theast of all-Black Dania �� boy' " t � } ' �� '' stones white. They also pledl Westside Cemetery. � ' y. f y W�/ ,� �� ' '-'' � j' � .�,;� to put the cemetery's new na Westlawn Memorial Cemet at the entrance of This was the same cemeter ' / ��,,�� /y/�/C � ., i! y � „y l H / U/f here Merritt recalled as a child , ', % , graveyard and plant hedges alc 4 � y/%Hy"�'�, '�',j %i/,;/; ; %y / ��' eeing black inmates clearing a the border of the fenced in to y r , ,• /i 11acant area tion. rr j officially recognized i� n �''/�/yi'/��• i."siy' //� r ', 4 ,;� � .s�„y � ,�� / ,, $ ,C ,/ , ., Dania Beach Mayor John B �y the city as Dania Colored � /..� , �%/ /,�. ��/i / �/, „ -, / r� /Cemetery until the new name was " tino joined local residents dur; 8 �% '/ � ' /� ./� . ;";�'�'�;�i, desi nated. ' the memorial ceremony to pay J //i/C��i %��c, /�. -.y/..,��✓u„-/.�i//,//�/,:.,,,: .: y ,;. respects on behalf of the city. Merritt, along with childhood MARVIN MERRITT (1) AND FRED BENEBY STAND BY NEWLY DEDICATED "I think in essence, the p friends William Hall and Fred MEMORIAL MONUMENT pose of this ceremony was Beneby, grew up in Dania in tl a right a wrong which occurs 9nidst of a Jim Crow South I dirt in their minds. moved were memorialized city year. many many years ago," i he learned to accept. For t;her,e After years of quiet frustra after several individual brought A year and some $1,500 later, Mayor said. "I was proud to tz three, however, the vestige: of tion, the gravesites .which had the incident to the attention of the monument with the names of Part in setting the recc racis i remain graphically etc.icd been lost when the remains were the media and city officials last 12 individuals,whose gravestones straight." once lay strewn in a pile, is in place. The gravestones form a U-shape with the monument in - the center. „ u L PuE Z u' aq �Cepol uoq; ;° Sunda . May 4, 1986 • Gazette Newspapers ' 0Lb1_QBBM ''•P dlgsiaq�uaua rrvnln nni r , :,ns: .mfuo°uT Dania ri rights a 50�year�old . wron� g By Tom Lassiter The monument's inscription concludes: "May The three,later joined by others,embarked on Staff Writer they resume their peaceful rest," a campaign to convince city officials that the DANIA —•Bigotry brought them to this Marvin Merritt remembers that day in 1938. cemetery should be named and dedicated and a ground, but words of forgiveness filled the Five years old at the time, he watched the monument errected to those who were moved bright blue Sunday sky as the forsaken were goings-on. But more haunting to Merritt than from Woodlawn. remembered and their final resting place was that childhood memory was the pile of rubble he "I look at this as a model for the young dedicated. saw when he visited the graves of family mem- people," Hall said of the campaign led by the Now officially the Westlawn Memorial Ceme- bers at the cemetery. three. "You can work together to get things tery,this piece of sun-browned grass dotted with The rubble, actually broken headstones, was done. A lot of people are still afraid to come plain white headstones has had many names. It all that marked the resting place of those forward with a request like this. Marvin lived is still called the Dania Colored Cemetery on brought to this ground almost half a century with this for 48 years." county records. ago. Today, 18 headstones salvaged from the "I'd like people to see that three people can The ignominious name dates from 1938, the rubble pile are arranged in a U-shape with the make a difference," Beneby said. year the remains of perhaps as many as two monument at its center. Mayor John Bertino told those gathered at the dozen blacks were dug up from Woodlawn Cem- "Thank God for this day," Merritt said after ceremony that he felt "horribly saddened, yet etery and moved to this ground along Phippen Sunday's ceremony. "I've waited over 40 years elated."Bertino indicated that he was saddened Road to assure segregation in death as well as for this day. Thank God." by the episode of nearly 50 years ago,but elated life. It was Merritt who took William Hall and by the action it sparked. But those who were moved so unceremoni- Fred Beneby aside at the cemetery after the At the end of the'ceremony, Merritt,Hall and ously were remembered on Sunday. funeral of a mutual friend.Merritt showed them Beneby presented Fort Lauderdale News and The names of 12 people are chiseled on the the pile of rubble. "You don't know the feeling . Sun Sentinel staff writer Valerie Hill-Morgan granite monument that was unveiled as about 75 that went through me," Hall said after being with a plaque recognizing her stories on the people, among them city officials of Dania and shown the rubble and told what it marked. cemetery as the "springboard for everything Hollywood, looked on. That was last April. we've done." - 'r .; Y AL AAL ;br Ofto a Monday, April 28, 1986 New memorial helps bur Dania cemetery i er past By COLLEEN GALLAGHER dug up from the city's cemetery to the gathering. "But today is the Herald Staff Writer make room for more white graves, present and we have love," Blacks and whites laid to rest a Whatever scars are left from the Helping to unveil the 51 -foot 46-year-old shame Sunday in Ilan- incident, the time has come for high stone was Marvin Merritt,54, ia, burying the anger, pain and them to heal, officials and resi- a Hollywood resident who has prejudice of the past with a prayer dents of Dania and Hollywood lived all his life near the cemetery. ' for forgiveness. proclaimed .at the afternoon cere- A year ago, encouraged by friends As about 50 people watched, mony. to break his long silence, Merritt officials unveiled a granite monu- "We know of the hatred and the approached Dania officials and ment commemorating the mass bitterness and the many things we shared his boyhood memory of the excavation of graves in 1940, had in the past,"Ruther M,Carter, ,'Aerbe�t Pen Sr.:Wipes when the remains of blacks were a 52-year resident of Dania, told Please turn to GRAVES/4A sweat from his eyes. e i e`mor�y Nr �' At the committee's request, the City Commission last week re- at cemetery named the cemetery Westlawn Memorial Cemetery, discarding i the unofficial names Westside unites Dania Cemetery and Dania Colored Cem- etery. ;x. Earlier, the commission had GRAVES/front ]A + agreed to pay for the $1,500 k ,. monument as a token of regret Jul moving of the graves. N �'r � what their predecessors had done. The remains of Merritt's older a,�� > �s �� "You must remember that was brother, a sickly child who had another era, another time in died at age 8, had been dug up r; from Woodlawn Cemetery along ,. history when perhaps that was with an unknown number of acceptable and was thought to be � ff,,a proper by the city officials," Vice others and reburied in a new Mayor Chester Byrd, the commis- "colored" cemeteryjust across the railroad tracks. ' sion's only black member, told the ar, a assembly. Afterward, Merritt's family nev- "But er was able to locate the child's ?� a ' But o goes to show you the � tY~•-• depths of man's inhumanity to rave which originally had been �:S t^ g - man and what happens when love marked only with a wooden cross. °'.Y"' But Merritt didn't speak Sunday leaves our hearts.' about the incident or the bitterness Dania in 1940 was no different from any small Southern town. he had carried over it for decades. It was a time when, as old city Instead, with no trace of the CHUCK FADEL V/Miami Herald stall shortness of breath that often Dania Mayor John Bertino,second from right,greets citizens' records show, a white man could plagues him, he smiled broadly publicly petition the City Council committee members at dedication of memorial at Westlawn. to keep the "colored populace" and reminded those assembled from oftee common resting place that an any closer to his .— awaits the faithful of all races. home — and get a sympathetic "When the trumpets of the Lord ear. shall sound and all these days are It was a time when the for lack past, all these bones are going to students the Atad to School for black rise up and God is going to take to students had to request permission them all in his hand," Merritt said, picnic re and the city refused. use the Dania beach fora school beaming, as onlookers said p "amen." The reason was simple enough the only longtime then: Dania didn't have a "colored Merritt isn't recalls when the beach." City officials told the resident who the D principal to take the matter up Dania City Council ordered the b with Hollywood, which did have a lack graves removed from Wood- lawn in 1940. But his story of the beach just for blacks. seldom-discussed episode in the It was a time when segregation extended to the graveyard: city's history shocked many. Merritt said he had never con- Now it's time for forgiveness, sidered taking the matter to City Sunday's speakers said. Hall, but when he told the story to "There has to have been a two friends last year, they encour- reason for all of this, Hall said. aged him to request a memorial. "What the reason is, I'm not smart Merritt and his friends, William enough to say. But whatever it "Thomas" Hall, a former Browward was, it must have been a good one, Community College administrator, because it brought us all togeth- and Fred Beneby Jr., .a Fart er." Lauderdale community activist, formed a citizens' committee that worked with city officials to plats Sunday's ceremonv. Pir DANUAPRIL/MAY 1986 PR Westlawn Memorial Cemetery Dedication lion of actions approved previously by under the direction of Maye F.Jenkins. the unanimous vote of the Dania City Hollvwood Mavor Mara Guilianti and Commission in responseto requestsof a City Commissioner Cathy Anderson, task force of citizens of the Liberia area were also in attendance, along with whose families were buried in the cem- approximately one hundred Dania and etery. Speakers included Mayor John Hollywood residents. Bertino,Vice Mayor Chester Byrd,long- The events which attracted national time Dania resident Ruther Mae Carter, media attention were significant not Martha Delevoe Walker, Henry only because they represent a positive Graham,as well as task force orgainizers symbol of inter-racial reconciliation,but Marvin Merritt, Fred Beneby Jr., and because they illustrate the point tht all µ. �. Thomas Hall_Music was provided by the Dillard High School Choral Ensemble. ® Westlawn, page 2 .....✓ - mar n„ -' �r +:- � . Awt n By Michael Smith was officially renamed Westlawn Mem• Personae!Director orial Cemetery, The second and most CKy of Dania important occasion was the dediction of ,,,., ..` a granite memorial to honor. some On Sunday April 27, 1986, Dania pioneer black citizens of Dania and residents celebrated two special events.. Hollywood, whose graves were moved . 0 Westlawn Persons. regardless of race, color or creed,can expect to be dealth with fairly in the Dania of the present and that dif• ferences can be resolved constructively in an atmosphere of mutual respect, and dignity. r •,`4�1.g`` -"ham' Y _ 4 r-� - r.'M► Ruthe `iae Carter addresses the rnanywho braved the hot un s _,, teat occasslon this lmpor• Valerie till, -Morgan FiL Lauderdale News Sun Sentinel re rter eceives OuWanding Community Service Award from Marvin MerritFred rSeneby. and Thomas Hall for her courage In r.Tlting two articles titled 'Dignity Denied.'and'Segregation in Death-' 4 tom. M a a x a , : "s u' : d r 49 tee.- , �... P+er.�.... .e s x x y .. a a. h f IV A�'CHB.C jAj CITY OF DANIA too WEST BEACH BOULEVARD a _ 1- DANI A. F1,01111DA � 33QD4 t i i 921-9700 MICHAEL W.SMITH 949-9210 Miami Personnel Director 763-5755 N.Brow. _ K aj _# � y Y• � n ~�. r 'T< - 4 t .,y f Fort Lauderdale News le,,.tro Monday, April 2$, 1986 p� Section 1) r:'�'� �F''' ;.•: .,. �a eta. r d ,�> a y k r�at �. a � a*y� t�3A+.7a�`�Y i t 's s f j :x �� yA i� AV"'! y F � � r' S Staff photo by JOANN VITEL111 Residents view monument dedicated in a eeremanv at Weiainwn Mamnri n] Vpmt tAry nn Phinnan Pn3aA in n ",a