A revolving door of civil rights activists and celebrities — a who’s who of the glitterati — made Miami’s Hampton House a hub of activity and attention during the 1950s and '60s. Situated in the Brownsville neighborhood, the motel was in the Green Book, offering refuge for Black travelers who needed a place to stay in segregated South Florida.
Today, it's known as the Historic Hampton House, a museum that’s a hidden gem to many in the community. But now, there’s an opportunity to peek into the motel’s past through those who knew it best, including figures such as Enid Pinkney, crucial for her Hampton House preservation efforts; former astronaut Winston Scott; and Khalilah Ali, ex-wife of Muhammad Ali.
They, among others, are featured in a series of 40-by-60-inch, mixed-media portraits on view throughout Black History Month. The interactive exhibit is the project of artist Raymond Elman, who is founding editor-in-chief of Inspicio Arts, an arts publication platform sponsored by Florida International University. (Inspicio Arts has a video-sharing partnership with Artburst Miami.)
“I realized that African-Americans who grew up in Miami didn’t know [Hampton House] existed,” Elman says. “I teach at FIU, and I have African-American students. I would ask them if they were aware of the Hampton House. They never heard of it. So I wanted to do whatever I could to try and shine a spotlight on it and help give it the attention it deserves.”
Artist Raymond Elman was inspired by the Hampton House after meeting Enid Pinkney, who is known for her efforts to preserve it.
Photo by Lee Skye
"You can come in with your phone or your iPad and scan the QR code, and it will take you to video clips where the people in the portraits are talking about their experiences at the Hampton House. It’s really interesting,” Elman explains.
The portraits — seven for now — will remain on-site at the museum, but visitors are encouraged to call ahead to confirm details. Anyone interested may also view them during the Historic Hampton House event, “The Greatest Weekend,” a three-day inaugural festival that starts February 25. Co-presented with FIU’s Wolfsonian Public Humanities Lab, the festival will commemorate the anniversary of the Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) and Sonny Liston boxing match in Miami Beach. Clay earned the World Heavyweight Championship title, and the events later that night at the Hampton House were eventually fictionalized and turned into a play then movie titled One Night in Miami.
Elman says the mixed-media portraits are a departure from his previous artistic focus. For the first 20 years of his career, he immersed himself in abstract art, then moved on to portraiture. After moving to Miami, Elman met Pinkney, who is known for resurrecting the Hampton House after it fell into disrepair.
“She’s the one who raised millions of dollars to restore it,” Elman explains. “She was able to galvanize and pull together a team that did all the things that needed to be done to make this happen.”
The roster of distinguished guests from the motel’s past inspired Elman to capture the memories through the portraits and video recordings. An Ellies Award in 2018 from Oolite Arts helped finance the project.
“I realized what an extraordinary place the Hampton House was and the tons of legendary people who would either stay there or perform there during segregation,” he says. “They all came back to the Hampton House after-hours. People like Frank Sinatra used to come there because it was the coolest place to be.”
Raymond Elman's series features portraits of Hampton House board chairperson Jacqui Colyer and former astronaut Winston Scott.
Photo by Lee Skye
The Hampton House was also known as a hub for those fighting racial injustice. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream Speech" was said to have its beginnings there.
"The manager at the time said that Dr. Martin Luther King practiced that speech in front of many of the guests because he was just testing it out to see what people thought," says Colyer, who is among those featured in a portrait.
The exhibit, she said, offers a great opportunity to learn about the motel and highlights the determination and ingenuity of the African-American community.
"The Historic Hampton House is a treasure in this community," Colyer says. "It's a treasure because it speaks of a time when the African-American community was resilient, when the community figured out a way to make the best of a situation that it was stuck in.
"And that's what I tell people all the time. Green Book hotels were just basically making a way out of no way. And the community really worked hard to show that not only were they deserving, but they were equal and that they should have what everyone else in America has, and that's freedom."
– Sergy Odiduro, ArtburstMiami.com
"First Person Portraits: Hampton House Performers & Patrons." At Historic Hampton House, 4240 NW 27th Ave., Miami; historichamptonhouse.org. Tickets cost $10 to $25.
