American Towns That Used to Be Rich But Are Now Poor

© State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

Brownsville, Florida

The town, which sits on the edge of Miami, became a rich area for black professionals in the early 1900s. Many African-Americans arrived from the Bahamas and built up its industries. That is until after World War II when white residents arrived and black-owned businesses began to close.

This photo shows jazz singer Billie Holiday performing in Georgette’s Tea Room, a meeting place and guest house, in Brownsville in 1950.