North Miami celebrated a milestone on Oct. 22 by renaming NE 134th Street as Gepsie M. Metellus Street, honoring the Haitian community leader whose decades-long work has strengthened immigrant services and civic engagement in South Florida.
Vice Mayor Kassandra Timothe led the ceremony, praising Metellus’s contributions:
“I believe this street redesignation to be a fitting honor for a pioneer like Ms. Metellus, who has paved a way forward for so many in our local community,” Timothe said.
Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Metellus co-founded the Haitian neighborhood center Sant La, which has become a cornerstone for immigrant services, advocacy, and civic engagement in South Florida.
Over more than 20 years, she has earned national recognition as a humanitarian, commentator, and advocate for Haitian-American voices. Her work has empowered countless community members to access social services, navigate local government, and participate actively in civic life.
The North Miami tribute follows a high-profile recognition in New York City on Oct. 21, where officials unveiled Jean-Michel Basquiat Way, honoring the late Haitian-Puerto Rican artist who reshaped contemporary art. The block of Great Jones Street between Bowery and Lafayette Street, where Basquiat lived and worked from 1983 until his death in 1988, now bears his name. Basquiat’s creative journey began as a graffiti artist under the tag SAMO, and his work quickly evolved into a visual language combining raw emotion, social commentary, and Afro-diasporic history.
“I think he’d feel so acknowledged and honored and I think he would be thrilled,” said Lisane Basquiat, speaking about her late brother. His nephew, Raymond Joseph Basquiat, added, “Art had a certain way of looking before, and now it has a different culture. And it looks good.”
These honors also highlight the diverse impact of Haitian heritage in the United States: from reshaping the visual arts in Manhattan to strengthening social infrastructure and community cohesion in South Florida.
