Seminola is a historically black neighborhood in

Hialeah, Florida Hialeah ( ; ) is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. With a population of 223,109 as of the 2020 census, Hialeah is the sixth-largest city in Florida. It is the second largest city by population in the Miami metropolitan area ...

, United States. Although originally somewhat larger, the current area is bound by West 25th and West 26th Streets to the north, West 8th Avenue to the west, the

Hialeah Expressway Hialeah ( ; ) is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. With a population of 223,109 as of the 2020 census, Hialeah is the sixth-largest city in Florida. It is the second largest city by population in the Miami metropolitan area, whi ...

to the south, and Red Road to the east. Located just west of the

Hialeah Park Race Track The Hialeah Park Race Track (also known as the Hialeah Race Track or Hialeah Park) is a historic racetrack in Hialeah, Florida. Its site covers 40 square blocks of central-east side Hialeah from Palm Avenue east to East 4th Avenue, and from East ...

, the neighborhood was developed in 1924 for the

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

laborers who built the race track. Both physical and racial barriers saved Seminola from being absorbed into the industrial district that now surrounds it. Originally almost 100% black, that percentage had dropped to 50% in the 1970s due to residents moving elsewhere and the influx of

Cuban exiles The Cuban exodus is the mass emigration of Cubans from the island of Cuba after the Cuban Revolution of 1959. Throughout the exodus millions of Cubans from diverse social positions within Cuban society became disillusioned with life in Cuba an ...

into Hialeah. As of the 2010 census, the neighborhood was only 25.3% black, and 73.2% Hispanic. Three historically black churches remain in the neighborhood, along with several stores and Cotson Park, which was named after a local African-American activist.

References

{{Hialeah African-American history of Florida Hialeah, Florida