North Miami to name street after Haitian-American leader Jacques Despinosse
Key Points(5)
- North Miami will name a stretch of roadway after former City Councilman and longtime Haitian-American community leader Jacques Despinosse this week, honoring more than four decades of civic and political involvement in South Florida.
- A street naming ceremony for “Councilman Jacques Despinosse Street” will be held Thursday, September 24, at 11 a.m.
- The designation covers Northeast 131st Street from Northeast 2nd Avenue to North Miami Avenue and Northwest 131st Street from Northwest 2nd Avenue to Northwest 13th Avenue.
- North Miami Councilwoman Mary Estimé-Irvin, who represents District 3, will host the ceremony in partnership with Miami-Dade County Commissioner Marleine Bastien, whose District 2 includes North Miami.
- Despinosse represented District 3 on the North Miami City Council from 2001 to 2009.
North Miami will name a stretch of roadway after former City Councilman and longtime Haitian-American civic leader Jacques Despinosse this week, recognizing decades of public service and political advocacy in South Florida.
The city will hold a street naming ceremony for “Councilman Jacques Despinosse Street” on Thursday, September 24, at 11 a.m.
The designation covers Northeast 131st Street from Northeast 2nd Avenue to North Miami Avenue and Northwest 131st Street from Northwest 2nd Avenue to Northwest 13th Avenue.
North Miami Councilwoman Mary Estimé-Irvin, who represents District 3, will host the ceremony in partnership with Miami-Dade County Commissioner Marleine Bastien, whose District 2 includes North Miami.
Despinosse represented District 3 on the North Miami City Council from 2001 to 2009. He was first elected in 2001 and reelected without opposition in 2005.
“Councilman Jacques Despinosse has made a lasting impact on North Miami through his commitment to public service and our community,” Estimé-Irvin said.
“Naming this street in his honor is a meaningful way to recognize his legacy and ensure that his contributions to our city are remembered for generations to come.”
But Despinosse’s influence in South Florida extends well beyond his eight years in elected office.
Born in Port-de-Paix, Haiti, in 1945, Despinosse immigrated to the United States in 1968 and settled in Brooklyn, New York, where he became a small-business owner. He moved to South Florida in 1977 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1979.
Over the following decades, he emerged as an advocate for Haitian-American political participation and civic engagement in South Florida.
Despinosse founded the Haitian American Democratic Club of Greater Miami in 1985 and later established the Haitian American Citizenship and Voter Education Center, an organization focused on citizenship, voter education and increasing civic participation among Haitian immigrants.
He also helped establish the South Florida Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of Haiti National Foundation.
His involvement in electoral politics began well before his election to the North Miami council. Despinosse ran for the Florida House in 1994 and served as a delegate to multiple Democratic National Conventions.
He was also selected during the Clinton administration to serve as an observer of elections in Haiti and has made numerous trips to Washington and Tallahassee to advocate on issues affecting the Haitian-American community.
After winning a seat on the North Miami City Council in 2001, Despinosse served two terms representing District 3. Following his departure from the council in 2009, he remained active in politics and community advocacy, including through his longtime “Radio Citizen” program, and later mounted campaigns for mayor of North Miami.
The decision to name a street after Despinosse followed debate last year over how the city should recognize his contributions.
In June 2025, the North Miami City Council voted 4-1 to co-designate portions of Northeast and Northwest 131st Street as “Councilman Jacques Despinosse Street.” During the same meeting, the council rescinded an earlier resolution to rename Breezeswept Park in his honor.
North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme voted against both measures, saying his position reflected the Despinosse family’s preference for the park to bear the former councilman’s name.
Despite the disagreement over the form of the tribute, Desulme praised Despinosse’s contributions to the city and South Florida.
“Councilman Jacques Despinosse is a pillar in North Miami and throughout all of South Florida,” Desulme said at the time, describing him as a Haitian-American immigrant whose “advocacy and impact transcends the local Haitian community.”
Desulme also called Despinosse a “living icon” and said he and other members of the City Council stood on trails paved by the former councilman.
The street designation was ultimately approved by both the North Miami City Council and Miami-Dade County.
Residents, community leaders and members of the public are invited to attend Thursday’s ceremony.
