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Dana A. Dorsey: Miami’s first Black millionaire

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Dana A. Dorsey moved to Miami from Georgia as the city was being built. Dorsey worked in a variety of jobs including carpentry, agriculture and at the railroad. With the money he earned, he began to buy land and gain wealth. As he came into his own success, he created opportunities for other by offering loans to other Black business owners so they could build get on their feet. You can visit a replica of Dorsey’s house that is now used as a museum and at the time we visited, was a display space for artists. The house is managed by the Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida. The Black Archives is a nonprofit organization founded in 1977 with the mission to preserve, protect and make available to the public Miami’s Black history from 1896 to present. 

 

For more on Dana A. Dorsey watch this video below:

To learn more about the The Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida, visit their website here.

A photograph of Dana A. Dorsey.
A newspaper article about Dana A. Dorsey and his island purchase.
A replica of Dana A. Dorsey’s home.
The Dorsey House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.