CORAL GABLES, Fla. – There is a growing controversy in Coral Gables.
One of the city’s founding fathers has a history of racism, and now there’s an ongoing debate over what to do about his name, which is all over the city.
George Merrick is well known for his work in South Florida.
He is widely regarded as the man who created Coral Gables and is one of the founders of the University of Miami.
As the chair of the Dade County Planning Board, he pushed segregationist ideals, and helped create an opportunity gap between White and Black Miamians that still exists today.
Now, while Merrick’s name remains one of the most visible in Coral Gables, part of the University of Miami campus will be changing that.
Miles Pendleton was part of a group of students and university faculty who sent a letter to the school’s administration, asking them to rename buildings whose namesakes had unmistakably racist pasts, like Merrick.
“He was racist, segregationist,” Pendleton said. “He had actually proposed what he described as a ‘Slum Clearance/Negro Clearance’ plan which would remove Black workers from Miami and create segregated homes and villages outside of Miami.”
A Change.org petition was started, and thousands of people signed on.
Then, this week, the school made public their decision, saying they would take Merrick’s name off of one of the school’s parking decks, name the brand new student center after a Black alumnus, and put educational features on campus to explain the history of current and prior honorees.
The school also announced they would be renaming a rehearsal hall inside of the Frost School of Music, which currently honors Henry Fillmore, whose most prominent work, they say, was quote, “full of racist caricatures that amounted to dehumanizing Black people.”
A full statement from the school can be read at the bottom of this story.
“I think that it was a great first step, and I think that it was a terrific decision to be made,” Pendleton said.
There is a building on campus called the Solomon G. Merrick building, named after George Merrick’s father.
Naming it was part of the deal when Merrick initially gave the school $5 million in 1925.
To change the name, the school would likely have to repay the Merrick family the equivalent of $5 million in 1925, which is about $75 million today.
Students who spoke to Local 10 felt that wouldn’t be necessary, especially since Merrick’s father was a reverend who was known for being welcoming to people of all races.
Local 10 also reached out to the City of Coral Gables to see if they would be doing anything different regarding the Merrick name. Their statement can be read below:
Statement from the City of Coral Gables:
“Coral Gables founder George Merrick was an urban planning visionary who understood the importance an institution of higher learning would play in developing a world-class community. To make this a reality he donated 160 acres of land and pledged $4 million to build a great university.
“While like most people he was not perfect, his memory and presence is still very important in and to Coral Gables.”
Statement from University of Miami President Julio Frenk and University of Miami Board of Trustees Chair Hilarie Bass, Esq.:
“Henry Fillmore, after whom the hall is currently named, used patently offensive language and images to promote his music. His most prominent work—the success of which led to his renown and likely the naming—was full of racist caricatures that amounted to dehumanizing Black people.”
“While we recognize that George Merrick’s proposals as chair of the Dade County Planning Board perpetuated a wealth gap for Black residents and broad inequities in our community that persist to this day, his vision and donation made possible the institution that would later become the first university in Florida to desegregate.”
“The fact of that progress underlines that, while George Merrick himself might not have imagined our University in all of its current rich diversity, in the years since his life and death, the institution he helped found has made and continues to make substantial headway towards racial justice and equity, and we are committed to enhancing that pursuit.”