Hello, my name is David Swisstack, a Business Analytics major at the Florida International University Honors College. This blog revolves around the Miami in Miami course taught by John Bailly. As I visit each destination, I am going to reflect on each experience in text, and talk about everything I notice in these historic and beautiful places, from the small things that catch my eye to the things that happen right in front of me, they all help to convey a perspective on each destination, and this blog is a reflection of that perspective.

“A New Discovery” by David Swisstack of FIU, Miami Encounter as Text, August 29, 2023

As I sit and reflect on what Miami is to me, I rarely think of rich histories, diverse cultures, and endless destinations. At times I feel trapped in this city and it feels like other places just have more to see and do. Being born and raised in Miami, I have watched the city grow and change, but I rarely realize how it all came to be. Being into tourist attractions, I have countlessly visited many of what Miami has to offer, but I believe these dedicated attractions are not even a small percentage of the rich history and architecture surrounding me.

Living in the Olympia Heights/Kendall area, I feel quite familiarized with the residential areas of Miami, with plenty of places to eat and parks to visit, and of course the amazing diversity that the city is partially known for. However, areas like downtown, Homestead, and Hialeah are completely unknown to me, as I rarely ever visit them since it feels like there isn’t much of a reason to aside from getting to one place in that area and hardly ever exploring much around it. Areas outside of my “comfort zone” feel somewhat foreign and unsafe, even if that isn’t the case at all. Even when going through these areas, I marvel at the architecture and style of some of these buildings, but hardly ever stopping to wonder what they are or if I can visit them.

I believe that history is everywhere you look and everywhere you don’t. Every single person and every single building, church, and house has a story to tell, whether it’s rich, sorrowful, or anywhere in between. Even Miami started from nothing, and it’s hard to believe that just a few hundred years ago, the area we know as Miami looked more like Everglades National Park, a vast natural swamp full of pinelands and hardwood hammocks. Starting from the day Miami was incorporated all the way to the city we know now, millions of people have come and gone, each with their own contribution to the Miami we see around us.

In this class, I desire to learn more about what we don’t see, and what we drive past every day, whether it’s the art deco architecture in Miami Beach or the European styled villas like Vizcaya. I believe that the history of Miami is so much more interesting than I could ever think of, and I am excited to see more of what awaits just a short drive away. Not only is it a bustling metropolis, it is a story that has been in motion for thousands of years. In this class, so far I am most excited to visit Miami Beach, given how little I really know about it, and would love to experience the incredibly unique architectural style along with the ocean breeze on my face. I believe there is an extremely interesting history in those neon lights, and that they are part of a rich and diverse mesh of cultures coming to life.

Even though I call Miami my home, I sometimes feel like an outsider looking in when I am reminded of the richness and size of my city, and knowing how diverse and beautiful Miami is makes me want to learn more about how it came to be the city we know today.

“A Divided Soul” by David Swisstack of FIU at Overtown Miami, August 30, 2023

When I asked friends and family about Overtown, a few thoughts came to their minds- and they weren’t very positive. Before visiting, I honestly had the same opinion. All I knew about Overtown was that it was an area to be avoided due to some negative publicity and reputation for crime. When I learned we were visiting, I was curious yet cautious about the idea. After experiencing it in Miami in Miami, I realized that Overtown is now the result of not only a physical division, but a social division as well. Knowing what I do now, I only wish the soul of this once thriving ‘Little Broadway’ was kept intact. It was extremely haunting to walk past the Lyric Theater and see a shell of what once was there. I can only imagine that the mentality of the Overtown area would be nothing like what it is today if even a fraction of its old charm was kept intact. Seeing old pictures and videos of what once took up that space, it became obvious that Overtown was not only an entertainment district, but a safe and accepting haven created by the Black community where people would go to escape the stresses of daily life, listen to beautiful music, watch famous performers, and eat delicious soul food.

One historic building that stood out to me above the rest was the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church right next to the I-95 expressway. To me it felt like the perfect symbol of the division that occurred in Overtown. Instead of preserving the history and culture, a giant highway for cars was constructed right through the middle of a thriving Black community, immediately separating the area and its people. A highway built just mere feet away from one of the most important buildings in the area, the place of worship. What was once a united and soulful metropolis began to turn into a shell of its former self. The jazz music that once filled the area began to fade, the restaurants began closing, the theaters were abandoned, and in its place modern apartment and office buildings began construction. The soul of Overtown was erased, and its reputation changed forever.

I can only imagine how different things would be if this district still had the soul and charm that it was once known for. Not only would it be considered a must visit destination, but there would be nothing else like it in Florida. A place where the Black community could show off their vibrant culture and gather as one. It is disheartening to know that instead of hearing people say “Let’s go see a show in Overtown!” you instead hear people say “Don’t visit the Overtown area, avoid it if you can.” What could have been a New Orleans like district right in our backyard turned into a place with a reputation fueled by racism, division, and an increasing lack of respect for what once was and could have still been Miami’s “Little Broadway.”

“The Modern Berlin Wall” by David Swisstack of FIU at Coconut Grove/Vizcaya, September 24, 2023

During the last Miami in Miami class in Overtown, we came across an interesting sight while walking through the Downtown Miami area: a surviving piece of the Berlin wall. The wall separated the Communist and democratic areas of Germany, and the wall was filled with passionate graffiti among the attempts to climb it and get from the Communist side to the democratic side. While walking through the neighborhoods in Coconut Grove, I began to realize that there are a disturbing number of societal “Berlin walls” that separate one group of people from a certain race or economic status from another. It became increasingly evident that there was a clear separation between the neighborhood of the Black Bahamians and the wealthier neighborhood of Coconut Grove.

Having parked in the area near the wealthy neighborhood, it was clear that there were attempts to inconvenience those from the Bahamian area to easily walk to the other area, given by the fence that completely closed off the parking lot in the wealthy area from the Bahamian area, making us walk around numerous houses and buildings to get where we needed to go, instead of the fence being open and letting us walk more easily there. The architecture and landscaping also dramatically changed, with there being less trees, much smaller houses, and fences that seemed to close everything off. In the wealthier area, there was a more open feel, with shops, numerous trees, and a luxurious appeal. Private schools costing tens of thousands of dollars were everywhere, and each boutique store or local establishment seemed to cater to a high end consumer base, charging a premium for what they served. There seemed to be no trace in that regard of something that prominently showed off the Black Bahamian culture in the same way that the wealthy neighborhood was catered to in Coconut Grove.

However, I think the light in the tunnel was when we found a single walkway that went from the seemingly blocked off Bahamian area straight to the wealthy one, which was a clear breakage of that “societal Berlin Wall” which gave me hope that the fences and walls that separated both neighborhoods would be taken down, more walkways and connections would be built, and both areas would be integrated seamlessly instead of blocked off from each other as they are now. I feel like with all the physical and societal barriers that exist today, there should be more “walkways” that integrate and connect people of all races and statuses, instead of closing them off because of the color of their skin or the money they make. There are people of so many different ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, and they all have their own story to tell. I feel like there should be efforts to highlight the beautiful diversity in background and culture that this country continues to have. The United States of America has come a long way in this mission of equality, but there is still much more to go. We must tear down these societal barriers and realize how amazing and diverse the people of the USA are, and truly aim for a cultural melting pot for all to enjoy and none to be put behind.

“A Harsh Wake Up Call” by David Swisstack of FIU at Chicken Key/Biscayne Bay, October 4, 2023

The first vista from the Deering Estate looking over at Chicken Key really is something to remember. A far, completely empty and remote island. Canoeing there was quite the challenge, especially when our canoe started filling with water and slowly began to sink halfway to the island. However, when we finally reached the island, we were greeted with a small trail to the only manmade objects on the island, a circle of benches. Everyone split up and I began to walk around the island. I soon realized that although this island was completely uninhabited, the destruction of our oceans and environments was extremely apparent. There was trash everywhere, from plastic bags to bottle caps to Styrofoam and much more. The sheer amount of waste was ridiculous, and appalling. Ever since the advent of plastic, there has just been more and more accumulating in our oceans, even to the point of seeing endangered sea turtles trapped inside plastic packaging. It seems harmless to just throw away a plastic water bottle or grocery store bag, but it is much less the case when that same plastic bottle or bag ends up in the ocean, ending the life of a beautiful marine animal like a sea turtle or dolphin. Recycling does not even seem like an option at this point, given that even recycled plastic will eventually get thrown away instead of recycled again and just cause the same issue. When human impact is seen even in untouched locations like Chicken Key, it should be a wake up call of the waste crisis we are facing.

I believe it is up to our generation to do more than just recycle our plastic water bottles. We need to hold many of these companies accountable that are mass producing materials that are not biodegradable at an alarming rate. It feels like every day, more and more waste is being found in our ecosystems, oceans, and even inside the stomachs of animals. It is not until these materials stop being produced that we can start cleaning up the monster we made for our planet. Nature is extremely resilient and adaptable, but even the most robust of adaptations are unable to fight the thousands of tons of waste that is out there floating in our oceans and in our ecosystems.

Education about this topic may be a good place to start. Strength comes in numbers, and it is especially true when dealing with huge companies that make billions of dollars essentially destroying the environment with plastics and emissions. Individually, one person may not do much just recycling a plastic bottle, as there will always be hundreds more throwing one away later to be found in our oceans. However, the more people are aware of the real scope of this, the more real change can get made, and places like Chicken Key can truly stay healthy and beautiful, as they were thousands of years ago, and should continue for thousands more to come. This trip was truly a wake up call as to what is happening when a seemingly harmless thing like throwing away a plastic bag turns into something so much bigger and more harmful than we can imagine.

“Lost to Time” by David Swisstack of FIU at the Deering Estate/Preserve, October 18, 2023

Walking through the Deering preserve was an incredibly beautiful and memorable experience, and through all the landmarks and scenery that I saw, one stood out above the rest and had a distinct impact on me. In the middle of a dense tropical hammock, stood a burial mound of the Tequesta Native Americans. Looking like just a small hill upon first glance, it often comes at a surprise to learn that in it hosts the bodies of those who belonged to of a once thriving indigenous civilization, buried in a ceremonial way, and who continue to rest there to this day. Not only have the Tequesta lived in the Dade County area for over a thousand years, but they are almost forgotten by time, with very little traces of them left, even though they occupied the very same spaces that everyone in modern Dade County does now.

It baffles me how almost every person I’ve asked has either no or extremely limited knowledge of our geographical ancestors, especially given how other past civilizations, such as the Greeks and the Mayans, are studied extensively and their architecture preserved for all to visit and admire. Most of what is known about the Tequesta came directly from the Spanish, and it is haunting to know that within that burial mound are people whose cultures and identities are, for the most part, completely lost to time.

I wondered about this, and especially thought to myself: “What or who else is lost to time?” Much like the Tequesta, there are likely countless human civilizations, each with their own unique ideas, values, and cultures that we know little to nothing about. There are also works, writings, and artifacts that have been created, some that may even offer insights or answers to questions that humans have had for decades, that are just completely lost to time.

All of this makes me wonder- what if the Tequesta hadn’t been lost to time, and we knew everything we could know about them? Would things be different? Would their history be taught in schools all around South Florida? Would Miami be vastly different than it is now? These are all things that went through my mind when looking at this historic mound. What else is lost to time, and what else will undergo that same fate in the future?

Even if we don’t know much about the histories and cultures of people like the Tequesta, I believe they should still be treated with respect, and an open mind should be kept in case any new findings occur. It is important to respect humanity’s history and preserve as much of it as possible for future generations to study and respect for centuries to come.

From burial mounds to using conch shells as tools to a town center looking over the Atlantic ocean, one can only imagine how the Tequesta life truly was like. Vast pinelands and hammocks and fields full of native wildlife in large numbers instead of the bustling metropolis we all think of today with the developed city of Miami. Everything in history had to happen to get us to the point of where we are today, and knowing how everything came to be is something that we should all be aware of.

“Destruction of History” by David Swisstack of FIU at South Beach, October 25, 2023

When walking around South Beach, one thing was made immediately clear to me aside from the ocean breeze and the ambiance of the music and chatter in the background. People don’t only come to South Beach for the white sand and crystal clear waters. Although that may be an incentive, what really put South Beach on the map was the unique and historic Art Deco architecture that was prevalent throughout the area. Gone was the concept of making buildings look like mountains or rock formations, and instead came the concept of creating buildings that looked like machines, appliances, or even rocket ships. Each small detail was intentionally placed to appear manmade, neon, and colorful, and at night the signs of each building became aglow with dazzling neon lighting. Miami Beach, being the largest collection of this style of architecture, almost becomes a window into the retro style of the past, where color and style were a top priority.

However, as we continued to walk north, the unique art deco style began to change and shift to more skyscrapers, apartment buildings, and complexes as if it were Brickell. It was a sudden and dramatic change, going from relatively small and contained yet stylish buildings to large and comparatively uninteresting ones. Although they may serve more purpose functionally, the draw of the unique architectural style was no more, and the occasional art deco buildings became more and more sparse. The number of floors grew from two or three all the way to the double digits, and the colorful nature of the art deco became swapped for more minimalist pallets.

The major thing that is concerning for me is how one day, as these historic buildings age, there may be more and more of a financial incentive for the City of Miami to allow for their destruction and create new buildings and complexes. Although in theory this may seem like it could generate more revenue, the unique aspect that put Miami Beach on the map would be erased, and a special part of its history would be essentially painted over and left as just a memory.

This reminded me of the historic Overtown area of Miami, where communal buildings, restaurants, and theaters were taken down to create more skyscrapers, apartments, and hotels. The soul of the area was lost, and what once made it a destination was gone forever.

Would the soul of Miami Beach be gone forever if the Art Deco architecture was removed? I believe that much of its personality would be lost, and there would be less of an incentive for people to visit as opposed to other beaches in the area that offer similar amenities. For something to have appeal, it should do something different and unique that people are unable to find anywhere else. The unique architectural style is what defines that aspect in Miami Beach, and removing it would create a soul lost to time as is the case with Overtown and many more once historic and beautiful areas.

“An Underappreciated Oasis” by David Swisstack at Everglades National Park, November 8, 2023

One of the highlights of the Miami in Miami class for me had to be walking through the cypress dome and sawgrass marsh, with the beautiful, colorful, and unique cypress dome reaching up out of the water. It’s an experience not many people are aware of, and if they are, they think of it as a dangerous and risky trek through wilderness. When I’ve asked people to describe the Everglades, the first words that come to mind have usually been “alligators, dangerous, gross, or boring.” This couldn’t have been further from the truth. When driving into the park, the infrastructure of bustling Miami immediately disappeared and a seemingly infinite number of pine trees lined the streets instead, supporting rare and beautiful wildlife as far as the eye could see. It is unfortunate that many people who have this national park in their own backyard just a few minutes drive away may not have even visited it in their lifetime. When I told my mom that there were communities of deer living throughout the Everglades, she seemed surprised and interested, not knowing that there were native deer in Miami, and expressed a desire to go and see the wildlife one day.

This really exposes one of the biggest issues I’ve seen regarding the lack of appreciation for the Everglades, and that is education. More people, especially those in Miami, should be more aware just how important the Everglades are, being both a source of freshwater for the cities and a refuge for many endemic and endangered species. The more people are educated about the importance of this precious ecosystem, the more efforts there will be to continue to conserve it. This brings me back to the slough slog I completed with the Miami in Miami class. Not only was it a memory I will have with me for the rest of my life, but it really showed me how disconnected I was from the true natural beauty that was just a half hour drive away. I too, was uneducated on how extensive and amazing the natural wonders in the park actually were, and it was only when I was truly off trail and in the water that I fully experienced it. I believe this is a must do for everyone who is interested in learning more about Florida’s ecosystems, and promoting these activities for all to experience can help create more knowledge of the beauty and wonder that this national park has to offer. When I went off on my own in the sawgrass marsh and looked at the cypress dome in the background, I truly felt a sense of peace and awe. It is unfortunate that many people are afraid at the idea of going into the swamp or feel as though it is “dirty” and “ugly,” which couldn’t be farther from the truth. As more and more people learn about these once in a lifetime experiences and come to appreciate the Everglades, the more those people will want to come back and continue to conserve it for centuries to come.

“A New World Discovered” by David Swisstack of FIU, Miami Final Reflection as Text, December 10th, 2023

It feels almost impossible to look at Miami the same way now as I did before starting this Miami in Miami journey. Even though I have lived here for twenty years, it feels like my understanding of this city’s rich history has just begun, and this class was the catalyst for further curiosity in learning more about my home. When I began, I had no idea what to expect, and that was reflected in my first post, where I felt like the places I visited had so much more to offer historically and architecturally, and even keeping this in mind, I was still blown away every time. Even the smallest of details, especially ones that people drive by without knowing a thing about, have a story to tell. I often hear people say “A picture is worth 1000 words,” and I think this sums up every corner of Miami perfectly. Wherever we went, there was something new and interesting to be found, and even the most mundane seeming things have something to tell with how they came to be.

In my first reflection, I stated that I was afraid to step out of my “comfort zone,” especially when thinking about areas like the Everglades and Overtown, where my lack of knowledge turned into uneasiness. After I visited many of these places, that uneasiness turned into wonder and awe, as I admired the lush tropical landscapes with a deeper appreciation and the architectural feats around me with a more open and educated mind about the history behind them. Surprisingly, what impressed me the most wasn’t the huge eye catching colorful buildings, but instead the things most people would gloss over, like the Cutler Fossil Site or the Tequesta Burial Mound. Even the trench outside the Deering Estate had a story to tell, and it was these seemingly small things that had the most impact on my experience. This class taught me that the most rewarding things lie outside my comfort zone, and I should hold that sense of adventure and wonder in everything I do, whether that be in the classroom or in my daily life.

I will reiterate a statement from my first reflection that I believe holds true and still will for generations to come: “Miami is a story that has been in motion for thousands of years.” It is a story that is just beginning to unfold, as the city’s rich and ever-growing aspects continue to develop and change time and time again. Every time I drive past a rare pine rockland ecosystem, or see an art deco building, or notice residential houses right next to skyscrapers from now on, I now have a unique perspective and a growing sense of wonder as I think about the struggles and histories behind every inch of these destinations.

Miami is more than just a city, it is a cultural and diverse generational melting pot, and its story has just begun. Miami in Miami enabled me to see my home in a unique and beautiful way, and I will forever cherish each new memory and discovery I make in this one of a kind world that I appreciate more each and every day.