South Florida will come together to celebrate the life and enduring legacy of Dr. Enid Curtis Pinkney on August 9, 10, and 11. Dr. Pinkney, an esteemed educator, preservationist, and historian of African American and Bahamian heritage, passed away on July 18th in Miami, FL, at the age of 92.
Dr. Pinkney dedicated her life to preserving and restoring significant community landmarks such as Lemon City Cemetery, the Historic Hampton House, and the Miami Circle at Brickell Point. Her relentless efforts have left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical landscape of Miami.
Born on October 15, 1931, to Lenora and Henry Curtis, Enid Curtis was educated in the Miami Public School System. She attended the Historic Booker T. Washington Junior/Senior High School in Overtown, where she spent her formative years.
After graduating in 1949, she pursued higher education at Talladega College, Alabama’s first private historically black liberal arts college, and graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences. She furthered her education by earning a Master of Science in Guidance and Counseling from Barry University in 1967 and received honorary doctorates in Humane Letters from St. Thomas University and Talladega College.
1991: A milestone year for Dr. Pinkey
The year 1991 was pivotal for Dr. Pinkney. After a long career with the Miami-Dade County Public School System, she retired as assistant principal at South Miami Middle School. That same year, she married Frank Pinkney, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her personal life.
Despite her petite stature, Dr. Pinkney was a formidable force in preservation. Her dedication to preserving Black and Native American history in Miami was evident in her extensive work. She joined Dade Heritage Trust (DHT) in the 1980s and became the organization’s first Black president in 1998.
During her tenure, she discovered that Black Americans were buried in the Miami City Cemetery and championed the preservation of numerous historic sites, including Lemon City Cemetery, the Miami Circle National Historic Landmark, the Historic Hampton House, and Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. She also served as a founding board member for the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust.
Even in her final month, Enid Curtis Pinkney remained active in sharing and preserving history. She engaged with the community at the Black Police Precinct and Courthouse Museum exhibit “Anything But A Slum: Overtown Before I-95 and 395” and interacted with graduate students from Florida International University at the Historic Hampton House. Her passion for history and education touched all who knew her.
Dr. Pinkney’s legacy lives on through her adopted son and nephew, Gary Allen, as well as a host of family, friends, colleagues, and countless others who will continue to explore, preserve, and honor the history of African Americans, Bahamians, Bahamian Americans, and Native Americans.
For those who wish to contribute, letters and photos can be submitted to drenidpinkneycelebration@gmail.com.
