School name to be changed to Georgia Jones-Ayers Middle School
On Saturday, August 29, a ceremony was held to rename Allapattah Middle School to Georgia Jones-Ayers Middle School.
The festivities kicked off at 10:00 a.m. with a parade starting at Charles Hadley Park, and concluded in front of Georgia Jones-Ayers Middle School.
The ceremony featured prominent community leaders, the unveiling of the new school sign, as well as a walk-through of the newly designated Georgia Jones-Ayers legacy room where students, teachers, and the community can learn about history of both Georgia Jones-Ayers and the Railroad Shop Colored Addition neighborhood.
Jones-Ayers grew up in the Railroad Shop Colored Addition neighborhood, now Allapattah, originally built for black railroad employees. In 1947, families were evicted from their homes in order to erect a school and park to serve the surrounding white families.
On June 17, 2015, the Miami-Dade School Board unanimously voted to rename Allapattah Middle School after civil rights leader and community activist, Georgia Jones-Ayers.
