Miami – Murals celebrating baseball icons Jackie Robinson and Minnie Minoso in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood were vandalized with Nazi swastikas and racial slurs earlier this week, Miami police confirmed Thursday. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime.
The defacement was discovered by local residents on Wednesday morning. The murals, located on NW 2nd Avenue, are well-known tributes to Robinson, the first Black player in Major League Baseball, and Minoso, the first Afro-Latino to play in the league. Both men are celebrated for breaking racial and ethnic barriers in American sports.
Miami police stated that officers responded to reports of vandalism at the site and have launched a hate crime investigation. Surveillance footage from nearby businesses is being reviewed as part of the inquiry.
Community leaders and organizations swiftly condemned the act. Brian Siegal, Miami and Broward Director of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), said in a statement, “To see Nazi swastikas and a racial slur sprayed over these images of courage is both painful and unacceptable. These murals, celebrating two trailblazers who broke racial and ethnic barriers, stand as powerful reminders of our shared history and the progress we must continue to make. We stand firmly against every expression of hatred, bigotry, and intolerance.”
Siegal added, “This act is not just vandalism, it is an assault on the very values of unity, dignity, and mutual respect that underpin our community and nation.” He expressed support for efforts to restore the murals and welcomed the police investigation. “We join with U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus‑McCormick and other civic leaders in declaring: we will not be intimidated. Instead, we respond with courage, solidarity, and hope. We will work together to rebuild, not just walls of art, but the bonds of understanding and respect that unite us.”
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez called the incident “an attack on our city’s values,” and pledged city resources to assist in the restoration and investigation. Local organizations, including Overtown Youth Center and the Miami Marlins Foundation, have also offered support to restore the damaged murals.
The vandalism has drawn concern from both the Jewish and Black communities, who have faced rising incidents of hate in recent years. “These symbols of hate have no place in Miami or anywhere,” said Overtown community leader Dr. Robert Williams. “We must stand together against those who seek to divide us.”
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Miami police or Crime Stoppers.
This article is based on verified information from the Miami Police Department, the American Jewish Committee statement, local news outlets, including the Miami Herald and WPLG Local 10, and statements from city officials and community organizations.