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Tri-Rail Stop

Most people see a station as a place of transition; a place to get from Point A to Point B as fast as possible. But for this ride, this train isn't just transportation, it’s a time machine. Welcome to your Rail-to-Roots Expedition, a Key2MIA curated adventure in partnership with the African American Research Library and Cultural Center for the Africana Arts & Humanities Festival. AARLCC believes that our stories belong in the air we breathe and the ground we move across, so today's trip is about reclaiming the map.

For over a century, the history of South Florida has been told as a story of "great men" and "conquered swamps. But the real story is written in the sweat of the people who cleared the mangroves, the brilliance of the Bahamian settlers who knew how to work this rock, and the courage of the families who built thriving neighborhoods in the face of a world that told them they didn't belong.

So, know that this trip isn't just about "going to a festival." We are retracing the migration of a people. Whether you’re coming from the North or the South, you are moving along a spine of Black resilience.

By the time we step off at the Sistrunk corridor, you’ll see a monument, and understand that every tie, every spike, and every station has a heartbeat. So put your explorer hat on! We’re going back to our roots, so we can see exactly where we’re headed.

Did you know?

Before the city of Hollywood was founded, there was already a thriving Black community nearby called Liberia.

Founded in 1923, Liberia became the primary neighborhood where Black residents were allowed to live during segregation. Residents built homes, churches, businesses, and schools, creating a self-sufficient community despite discriminatory housing policies.

Liberia even had its own business district along J.A. Ely Boulevard, where restaurants, grocery stores, and nightlife venues welcomed entertainers like James Brown and Sam Cooke when segregation barred them from other venues in South Florida.

Opa Locka

When people tell the story of South Florida railroads, Henry Flagler and the FEC tend to dominate the narrative, but the Seaboard Air Line Railway played a huge role in shaping communities on the mainland, especially for working-class residents and Black railroad workers.

But let's talk about Flagler for a bit, because it is still an important part of South Florida's story. When the Florida East Coast Railway reached West Palm Beach in 1894, Miami wasn’t part of his plan.

At the time, Biscayne Bay was a remote frontier settlement of only a few hundred people. But one woman saw something more. Julia Tuttle, a landowner on the north bank of the Miami River, believed the area could become a thriving city, if it could be connected to the outside world; a luxury tropical destination for wealthy northern tourists.

After a period known as "The Great Freeze" destroyed citrus crops across much of Florida in 1894–1895, Tuttle alerted Flagler that Miami had escaped the frost. She invited him to see it for himself and offered land for a railroad, hotel, and future city development. Flagler accepted the deal, and in 1896 his railroad arrived at Biscayne Bay; a decision that would transform a small riverside settlement into the city of Miami.

His railroad connected:

  • St. Augustine
  • Palm Beach
  • Fort Lauderdale
  • Miami

With each stop came hotels, jobs, and real estate development. The FEC was essentially the spine of Florida’s early tourism industry. Flagler’s hotels and rail lines worked together to create that image that Tuttle saw: Florida as an exclusive winter playground for the wealthy.

But building that image came with a cost. The construction of the railroad (especially the later extension to Key West) relied heavily on Black laborers and immigrant workers, many of whom worked under extremely dangerous conditions laying track through swamps, heat, and hurricanes.

These railroads are often remembered through the names like Henry Flagler. But the reality is that the system only worked because of thousands of laborers, many of them Black men, who laid the track, maintained the lines, and worked the trains themselves.

In the Jim Crow South, railroad work was one of the few industries that offered steady wages for Black workers. The jobs were demanding and often dangerous, but they created opportunities for travel, education, and economic mobility that were rare at the time.

Now, while Flagler’s railway catered largely to tourists and wealthy travelers, the Seaboard Air Line Railway served a different purpose. When the Seaboard reached South Florida in 1927, it created a second major rail corridor on the west side of the region—the same path where Tri-Rail operates today.

Now while Flagler’s railway catered largely to tourists and wealthy travelers along the coast, the Seaboard Air Line Railway served a very different purpose.

And one of the communities that grew directly from that railway was Opa-locka.

In the 1920s, aviation pioneer and developer Glenn Curtiss helped design Opa-locka as a brand-new city during Florida’s land boom. The town was built around the Seaboard rail line, which allowed people and materials to move quickly between Miami and the rest of the country.

Curtiss gave the city a unique theme inspired by the stories of One Thousand and One Nights, also known as Arabian Nights. That’s why many of the buildings here were designed with domes, minarets, and Moorish-style architecture. At one point, Opa-locka had more Moorish Revival buildings than any other city in the United States.

And like many towns along this railway, the growth of the community depended heavily on railroad workers, builders, and laborers — many of them Black men who helped construct and maintain the rail lines that connected South Florida to the rest of the country.

Where the FEC helped build resort towns, the Seaboard helped build working communities and one of the most important—and often overlooked—parts of this story is the role of Black railroad labor. Across both the FEC and the Seaboard lines, African Americans made up a huge portion of the workforce. They worked as: Section hands laying and repairing track, Brakemen and firemen operating trains, Pullman porters serving passengers, Dining car waiters and service staff.

These were often difficult and dangerous jobs, especially in the Jim Crow South. Workers faced segregated work environments, lower pay than white workers, unsafe conditions, as well as limited advancement opportunities...And yet the railroad became one of the "most" important economic pathways for Black families in the early 20th century.

Railroad jobs provided steady income, travel opportunities, exposure to ideas and organizing networks. Many historians credit railroad workers, especially Pullman porters, with helping spread ideas that fueled the early Civil Rights Movement.

The formation of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1937 was a major milestone. It became the first Black labor union recognized by the American Federation of Labor, and helped improve wages and working conditions for thousands of workers.

Through these jobs, many Black families were able to build stable middle-class lives in communities along the rail lines.

Moving into Broward

As we move into Broward, remember: the roots here grew from a global seed.

In the early 1900s, this wasn't just a southern migration—it was also a Caribbean one. Thousands arrived, bringing the mastery that built the foundations of neighborhoods like Liberia, Deerfield, and Pompano. But segregation drew a hard line at these tracks. We were pushed to the NW side of the rail—close enough to work the coastal hotels...but separated by design.

In Fort Lauderdale, that forced separation created Sistrunk Boulevard. Named for Dr. James Franklin Sistrunk, the healer who built our first hospital when the coast refused us care; this corridor became our Main Street. Since the doors of downtown were locked, we built our own. We turned the "back-of-town" into a cultural powerhouse where jazz legends found a home and entrepreneurs built a future.

We didn't just survive the rail lines; we outstayed them. We, too, sing America...and Sistrunk, is our anthem.

Trivia Question: Hidden Heroes of Broward

The answer to this trivia question was a Bahamian-born midwife who served Deerfield Beach and surrounding Black communities during segregation. Hospitals frequently refused care to Black residents, so she delivered thousands of babies in homes and community spaces, providing safe arrivals and fostering the growth of families across Broward County.

Her contributions echo the legacy of Dr. James Franklin Sistrunk, whose hospital (Provident Hospital) and medical practice gave Black residents access to essential healthcare. Together, these pioneers illustrate how Black leaders (both men and women) built vital community institutions in the face of systemic exclusion.

(correct response is below ✅ )

Eula Johnson – civil rights activist and NAACP leader
Sylvia Alridge – pioneering entrepreneur who supported Black workers
Blanche Ely – educator and community leader
Branhilda Richardson‑Knowles – midwife who delivered thousands of babies ✅

Welcome to Fort Lauderdale

Trivia Question: Hidden Heroes of Broward

The answer to this trivia question was a Bahamian-born midwife who served Deerfield Beach and surrounding Black communities during segregation. Hospitals frequently refused care to Black residents, so she delivered thousands of babies in homes and community spaces, providing safe arrivals and fostering the growth of families across Broward County.

Her contributions echo the legacy of Dr. James Franklin Sistrunk, whose hospital (Provident Hospital) and medical practice gave Black residents access to essential healthcare. Together, these pioneers illustrate how Black leaders (both men and women) built vital community institutions in the face of systemic exclusion.

(correct response is below ✅ )

Eula Johnson – civil rights activist and NAACP leader
Sylvia Alridge – pioneering entrepreneur who supported Black workers
Blanche Ely – educator and community leader
Branhilda Richardson‑Knowles – midwife who delivered thousands of babies ✅

Did You Know?

At the historic Deerfield Beach station, built in 1926 and now home to the South Florida Railway Museum, you can still find artifacts that bear witness to segregation on the railroads.

Among its collection is a “Colored Waiting Room” sign from the era of Jim Crow, similar to the kinds of signs that once designated separate facilities for Black passengers and travelers in stations across the South. These signs are preserved today to help tell the full story of what travel looked like for Black Americans in the early 20th century.

More on the musem here

Boynton Beach

When people tell the story of South Florida railroads, Henry Flagler and the FEC tend to dominate the narrative, but the Seaboard Air Line Railway played a huge role in shaping communities on the mainland, especially for working-class residents and Black railroad workers.

But let's talk about Flagler for a bit, because it is still an important part of South Florida's story. When the Florida East Coast Railway reached West Palm Beach in 1894, Miami wasn’t part of his plan.

At the time, Biscayne Bay was a remote frontier settlement of only a few hundred people. But one woman saw something more. Julia Tuttle, a landowner on the north bank of the Miami River, believed the area could become a thriving city, if it could be connected to the outside world; a luxury tropical destination for wealthy northern tourists.

After a period known as "The Great Freeze" destroyed citrus crops across much of Florida in 1894–1895, Tuttle alerted Flagler that Miami had escaped the frost. She invited him to see it for himself and offered land for a railroad, hotel, and future city development. Flagler accepted the deal, and in 1896 his railroad arrived at Biscayne Bay; a decision that would transform a small riverside settlement into the city of Miami.

His railroad connected:

  • St. Augustine
  • Palm Beach
  • Fort Lauderdale
  • Miami

With each stop came hotels, jobs, and real estate development. The FEC was essentially the spine of Florida’s early tourism industry. Flagler’s hotels and rail lines worked together to create that image that Tuttle saw: Florida as an exclusive winter playground for the wealthy.

But building that image came with a cost. The construction of the railroad (especially the later extension to Key West) relied heavily on Black laborers and immigrant workers, many of whom worked under extremely dangerous conditions laying track through swamps, heat, and hurricanes.

These railroads are often remembered through the names like Henry Flagler. But the reality is that the system only worked because of thousands of laborers, many of them Black men, who laid the track, maintained the lines, and worked the trains themselves.

In the Jim Crow South, railroad work was one of the few industries that offered steady wages for Black workers. The jobs were demanding and often dangerous, but they created opportunities for travel, education, and economic mobility that were rare at the time.

Now, while Flagler’s railway catered largely to tourists and wealthy travelers, the Seaboard Air Line Railway served a different purpose. When the Seaboard reached South Florida in 1927, it created a second major rail corridor on the west side of the region—the same path where Tri-Rail operates today. This line connected Florida with major cities across the South, including:

  • Atlanta
  • Birmingham
  • Richmond
  • Washington D.C.

Instead of focusing primarily on tourism, Seaboard carried people, freight, agricultural products, and everyday workers. It helped move citrus, vegetables, lumber and thousands of migrants searching for opportunity in Florida’s growing cities.

Where the FEC helped build resort towns, the Seaboard helped build working communities and one of the most important—and often overlooked—parts of this story is the role of Black railroad labor. Across both the FEC and the Seaboard lines, African Americans made up a huge portion of the workforce. They worked as: Section hands laying and repairing track, Brakemen and firemen operating trains, Pullman porters serving passengers, Dining car waiters and service staff.

These were often difficult and dangerous jobs, especially in the Jim Crow South. Workers faced segregated work environments, lower pay than white workers, unsafe conditions, as well as limited advancement opportunities...And yet the railroad became one of the "most" important economic pathways for Black families in the early 20th century.

Railroad jobs provided steady income, travel opportunities, exposure to ideas and organizing networks. Many historians credit railroad workers, especially Pullman porters, with helping spread ideas that fueled the early Civil Rights Movement.

The formation of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1937 was a major milestone. It became the first Black labor union recognized by the American Federation of Labor, and helped improve wages and working conditions for thousands of workers.

Through these jobs, many Black families were able to build stable middle-class lives in communities along the rail lines.

West Palm Beach

Most people see a station as a place of transition; a place to get from Point A to Point B as fast as possible. But for this ride, this train isn't just transportation, it’s a time machine. Welcome to your Rail-to-Roots Expedition, a Key2MIA curated adventure in partnership with the African American Research Library and Cultural Center for the Africana Arts & Humanities Festival. AARLCC believes that our stories belong in the air we breathe and the ground we move across, so today's trip is about reclaiming the map.

For over a century, the history of South Florida has been told as a story of "great men" and "conquered swamps. But the real story is written in the sweat of the people who cleared the mangroves, the brilliance of the Bahamian settlers who knew how to work this rock, and the courage of the families who built thriving neighborhoods in the face of a world that told them they didn't belong.

So, know that this trip isn't just about "going to a festival." We are retracing the migration of a people. Whether you’re coming from the North or the South, you are moving along a spine of Black resilience.

By the time we step off at the Sistrunk corridor, you’ll see a monument, and understand that every tie, every spike, and every station has a heartbeat. So put your explorer hat on! We’re going back to our roots, so we can see exactly where we’re headed.

Credits & Sources

Sources & Credits

Railroads & Labor History:

Florida East Coast Railway / Henry Flagler & Julia Tuttle:

  • Florida State Archives & compiled research

Seaboard Air Line Railway & Tri-Rail Corridor:

Community Leaders & Black History in Broward:

AARLCC & West Side / Sistrunk Corridor:

Photos & Media References:

Note on Curation:
This experience was curated by Key2MIA LLC for the 2026 Africana Arts & Humanities Festival, in partnership with Friends of AARLCC.

Legal Notice:
All content © 2026 Key2MIA LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction or redistribution of content without permission is prohibited.

Moving into Broward

As we move into Broward, remember: the roots here grew from a global seed.

In the early 1900s, this wasn't just a southern migration—it was also a Caribbean one. Thousands arrived, bringing the mastery that built the foundations of neighborhoods like Liberia, Deerfield, and Pompano. But segregation drew a hard line at these tracks. We were pushed to the NW side of the rail—close enough to work the coastal hotels...but separated by design.

In Fort Lauderdale, that forced separation created Sistrunk Boulevard. Named for Dr. James Franklin Sistrunk, the healer who built our first hospital when the coast refused us care; this corridor became our Main Street. Since the doors of downtown were locked, we built our own. We turned the "back-of-town" into a cultural powerhouse where jazz legends found a home and entrepreneurs built a future.

We didn't just survive the rail lines; we outstayed them. We, too, sing America...and Sistrunk, is our anthem.

Rail to Roots
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