Opa-Locka Housing Renamed After Beloved Advocate

Miami FL

07 April, 2022

5:00 PM

Description

By Bianca Marcof, Miami Times Staff Writer, the Miami Times Apr 5, 2022 The name of longtime community advocate Mary Alice Brown now graces Opa-locka's Aswan Village apartment complex. Friends and family gathered last week as the Opa-locka Community Development Corporation (OLCDC) held a celebration to officially rename the apartments in honor of the 84-year-old's lasting mark in the community. "This is beyond my wildest dreams," Brown told The Miami Times at the event. Opa-locka Vice Mayor Chris Davis (L) presents Mary Alice Brown a proclamation on behalf of the city, citing March 31, 2022, as "Mary Alice Brown Day." (Bianca Marcof for The Miami Times) Having lived in the county for more than 70 years, she is a founding member of the OLCDC's board of directors and has held positions such as board chair and secretary for nearly three decades with Opa-locka Teen Upward Bound. She also spent five years as PTA president at North Dade Middle School and is known for her profound impact during the civil rights era and school integration – she rode the bus every day with Black students to ensure their safety. Brown wanted things to be better for her children, and strove to make things "better for all children," she said. At Thursday's event, she was presented with two proclamations, one on behalf of Miami-Dade County and the other from Opa-locka, marking March 31, 2022, as "Mary Alice Brown Day." Brown's love of community advocacy began when she worked on Bill Lehman's political campaign for U.S. Congress. Through her tireless work over the years, she pursued a career in health care, and retired from nursing in 2000 after nearly 40 years. Today, she continues to be as active as ever. Brown currently runs an elderly program at her church, Holy Temple Missionary Baptist, where she provides lunch, special workshops and social activities to seniors. "In so many ways, she's contributed and given to this community," Willie Logan, founder of the OLCDC, said. "We're very happy that we can honor her this way." The 216-unit complex, now named the Mary Alice Brown Apartments, is worth about $37 million and is home to 700 low-income families and singles. Household income is between 30-60% of the county's median income. Mary Alice Brown was honored on Thursday for her tireless work in Opa-locka. (Bianca Marcof for The Miami Times) At one point, the property was in the hands of HallKeen Management, who attempted to sell it to another real estate company without recognizing the OLCDC's right to buy it first. However, a successful lawsuit filed in 2020 put the complex back into the OLCDC's possession. Although the development is in good shape, improvements have been made, such as the addition of a new computer lab. But Logan explained that in due time units will be updated with hurricane impact windows, upgraded appliances and more efficient electric and water features (like small water heaters). Mary Alice Brown becomes emotional on stage during a celebration honoring her life's work. (Bianca Marcof for The Miami Times) "I would say you come back at the end of 2023 and you will see a totally new place, inside and out," he said. The OLCDC currently provides on-site wraparound services to residents, financial literacy and free after-school programming, residential social activities, mental health services and assistance with basic needs. "If not for [Brown], we wouldn't be standing here today. I was 23 when we started this organization. I knew nothing about managing public money or running a corporation," Logan said. "She taught us what was a W-9 and why you had multiple reports and why you had to keep records. I would have had no idea, so she deserves this and much, much more." Friends and family gathered outside of an Opa-locka apartment complex Thursday morning to celebrate the legacy of Mary Alice Brown, the building complex's new namesake. (Bianca Marcof for The Miami Times) Brown is the matriarch of her family, but her role extends well beyond blood relations, as she's taken in countless members of the community as her own. To Logan, she's "the matriarch of the greater Opa-locka community." He even considers her as a mother, since he grew up with her youngest son. Brown is currently seeking donations to support her seniors program, Holy Temple Human Services Corporation's Elderly Services. "We all have a duty," she said. "I volunteer every day. I want to make sure that those seniors that are retired have at least one hot meal a day, you know." The Miami Times is the largest Black-owned newspaper in the south serving Miami's Black community since 1923. The award-winning weekly is frequently recognized as the best Black newspaper in the country by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.