Jack Block
Interviewed by Greg Bush
Greg Bush: What do you feel about the city of South Miami before we go back to your early life.
Jack Block: I moved here March 6, 1956 and lived in the same house. I love this city. There are times you get aggravated with what is going on. It’s a friendly community. Do you remember when they had the riots down in Overtown back at Nixon’s first inauguration. They had the convention down here. Everywhere in town there were riots going on. In the city of South Miami we had a big barbeque which was held in the black area in one of the black parks. Where the Jaycees and myself, I cooked ribs all night long, and all the white people were there serving the black community. And we had no problems. When there were police problems the black community would get hold of me and tell me ‘There’s a car load of people coming in from Coconut Grove.” and we could tell the police. That’s the way this community is. It’s a close-knit community. Black people living with white, you don’t get that anywhere else.
GB: Let me take you back to your early days. What do you remember of your family and your social life in those early days?
JB: Well we didn’t have much of a social life back in those days. We came from a middle/ low class family, lived in a home that was owned by my mother and my grandparents. My father died when I was four. My mother took care of my sister and myself and my grandparents. When I was eleven years old I worked in a furniture factory for the whole day for $1.25 and then I help out around the house. It was not easy. It was fun and I was a kid and I enjoyed it. I had a second hand bike played ball and had a good time. I can remember when the horse driven ice-wagon would go by we’d jump on the back and chip a couple of pieces off in the summer so we had some ice. And the fire hydrants were open so we got some water. It was a good life. It was tough but I did fine.
GB: Could you describe coming down here?
JB: When I first came down here my grandparents had already moved down here because my grandmother had arthritis and was just about crippled up north and lived for many years after that. She would walk around fine due to the difference in weather. My sister and mom stayed up north to sell the house. I came down by myself. Took the train down by myself when I was a 15. The experience of coming into Miami from the north was something. In Jacksonville you could see people in fur coats and when you got down here nobody was wearing anything. When you came across the causeway it was like coming into gods country. Its just something you never picture in your mind. It was a fabulous coming in. I went to Miami Beach high school when I came in and played football there. The last year I didn’t play because of an operation. But I still got a scholarship to the University of Miami for football. I played there as a freshman and then went into the army in June of 1994.
GB: Do you recall being shocked at the segregation either in the army or on Miami Beach?
JB: I don’t think there was shock because when I grew up I was told about it. We weren’t that way. I went to school with black and white but when you came down here they had to sit in the back of the bus. It wasn’t shocking because I was told this is what the south was. I was prepared for it. I didn’t like it particularly. I can remember one of my best friends in grammar school in Newark was black.
GB: So when you came back you went to UM law. Where there any teachers there that stood out or that were your role models.
JB: I never had time for things like that. I got married shortly after I got back and was married when I was in law school. On Saturdays I worked from 8 to 5 at Mary Jane’s shoe shop would go home change clothes and go to Riviera golf course and worked as a waiter. Where I worked until there in the morning. Between the two jobs I made $55 which was good pay. So I had to work and study and had no time for anything else.
GB: What did you do after law school?
JB: I graduated in 1949. And went into a law office where I didn’t get paid but I had free overhead. I established a general practice. We started out and did whatever you could to make a buck. I originally did a lot of work with contractors and sub-contractors. And when the market collapse I started doing divorce work and estate planning. At that time we didn’t specialize we did everything.
GB: Could you describe what South Miami was like when you first moved here
JB: When I first moved here the area I lived they were putting a canal in so they could fill the land and build houses. We moved in a brand new area. All the houses were individually built. Every one had their own builder and architect. This is off miller drive and 64 ave. Twin lakes drive. The whole area was a big strawberry patch all over. Indians were right in that area. We had to blast for our septic tank to get in. They put a whole subdivision below us. The whole area from 62 ave to 67 ave from miller to 64 st was a area that was built about 1955’s. SO we were the new comers
GB: Was there a consciousness that you were building close to an African American neighborhood?
JB: No that never came into our minds at all
GB: Did you identify with the leadership with General Eisenhower at that point?
JB: Well I was just out of the military so how could I not. I was an Adlai Stevenson fan.. When I was the mayor of South Miami I would go to all the conferences and I got to shake hands and meet personally with every candidate with everyone who became president. When you’re a political animal it goes in one ear and out the other. Most of it is BS. When I heard Stevenson speak the first time I stood up and applauded. I was enthralled with the man. I was kind of disappointed he didn’t get elected. I always voted for the man whether democrat or republican. I was never tied to a political party when in came to voting for president.
GB: What was the city of South Miami like on the eve of when you ran for city commission for the first time
JB: There were newer areas. The new areas were from Sunset going North. The older areas were controlled by the people who had been in office. The newer areas there had been a lot of robberies. The people were upset that they weren’t getting the kind of service they were entitled to because they were Johnny-come-latelys. So a delegation came to see me because I had gone to meetings because I was interested. I had spoken against the budget and some other proposals. I was a little active as an individual. So some people came to the house and asked if I’d run against the incumbent. Who was Clyde Taylor. I would walk the city during the year. I was very interested because there was an issue at that time where the incumbent knew the people wanted to go into the black area, the lee park area. They wanted to rip it down displace all the people and put up apartment complex. They did want to renew it with houses but apartments and change the nature of the people. SO that is what made me run for office. I was an anti-high rise candidate. That was in 1968 when I ran for mayor.
GB: How did it come about that the old WPA community center was named after Silvia Martin and what kinds of things went on there?
JB: It was primarily senior citizen use at first and then it became the library. SO when people ask “What did you do when you were mayor?” I brought a library to South Miami. I made a deal with the City of Miami to bring their library in and got some money each year. And that was in the Silva Martin building. And when the county came in we gave them the land to build the new library. Silva lived in South Miami and was a city clerk before my time but she was still active. She was a wonderful person. I was going to make a trip to Switzerland. When she heard that she gave an itinerary of where to go and where to stay and train schedules and cities to go to. She would even tell me the side of the train to sit on to get the best view. That is just the type of person she was.
GB: How would you describe your relationship with Spike Gibson and James Bowman?
JB: Spike Gibson ran for office on a ticket in opposite to me. At that time James Bowman’s wife Dorothy ran with me. After that Spike and I became very close and James and I became close. I went to their homes and they came to mine.
GB: What kind of political activity took place in the African American community that you were involved with.
JB: When I first moved here the black community in South Miami was made up of two different factions. The Georgians and the South Carolinians. They weren’t particularly friendly. Often they didn’t vote the same way. In fact a perfect example Spike was from SC. His group voted for his ticket and the Georgians voted for me. Later both the SC and the Georgians voted for me because I didn’t tell one from the other. I cant tell why it was that way. It was something way before my time. Whether it is still that way today I can’t say.
GB: What were some other powerful political forces while you were Mayor
JB: The Homeowners association supported me. They were probably the strongest political group. The Chamber of Commerce, the business people were mostly of residents of the city. I had a good relationship with them. I would play Santa Claus every year. I would give our to the different associations candy canes. I would walk the city and pass out candy canes in the black areas. And we would sing carols and so on.
GB: Talk about the nature of the park system while you were mayor
JB: In the black area we put in tennis courts. They served a fantastic purpose. One of the people in South Miami donated lights for it. Everyday you could find me, the chief of police and the recreation director there. We would pick a kid from the neighbor hood and play. All the citizens knew if they had a problem they could come down an talk to us. So it was great PR. I showed that we were interested in the black community. We could have played a Fascell park but we didn’t and it showed the community we were interested in them. So I didn’t consider it just social but a part of successful running of the city.
GB: What did you know of other major politicians while you were mayor.
JB: I was friendly with practically every office holder from Dade county. From the commissions, the mayors the state rep and senators and our federal people. I was in office for 16 years and then you have contact with the different cities. If it hadn’t been for my service as mayor of South Miami and my contacts with all these people I couldn’t have gotten elected judge because my opponent was a woman who had more money than I didn’t but those contacts gave me people in office all over the country that were supporting me.
GB: What do you think about the coverage of South Miami in local newspaper or on TV and how has that changed over the years?
JB: I was never a favorite of the newspapers. I was never endorsed in any election I went into except the first one. So I don’t think much. When the Miami Herald in the early years endorsed candidates a lot of people would vote the opposite of what the paper said. I got along pretty good with reporters but that didn’t mean that I agreed with them. I was totally, in my early years, supported by the home owners. The Herald was supported by the businesses. They had local editions unlike today. The neighbors concept today is nice when it was smaller and covered sections more in-depth.
GB: Talk a little about zoning while you were mayor and after.
JB: Zoning was a situation in which a person either got elected to office or lost office in South Miami. It was a major concern of the residents. People wanted to keep the residential character of the city. That is how I got elected the first time. Zoning is a critical aspect in South Miami. It was the most significant issues while I was mayor. I was anti-high-rise. I was in favor of the Bakery Center. I made an agreement with them that when they developed the second stage, which they never did, they had to construct an overpass from the center to rapid transit. The public now feels that with the new center the politicians gave a lot away. Variances for parking, a bigger amount of use of land for building. And didn’t require then to put in an over pass. It is a beautiful place but you can’t park. We finally went and took hours to park and we had to spend an hour on line like Disney to get a ticket. Too many footprints. I get upset with the fact that the money being brought in is not going to the people. The people are actually paying more in taxes because of that. Some of the money should go elsewhere for the rest of city. By the time you pay for all the additions the city had to add because of the new development it costs the city a great amount. I don’t think it will become a significant political issue because it is already there. It should have been a bigger issue before it went in.
GB: Talk briefly about the transportation system in South Miami. Especially your reaction to Metro Rail.
JB: I was opposed to it. I was opposed to Metrorail. To this day I think it is a waste of Tax dollars. It does serve a purpose. It will never solve the problems of roads. This last penny tax that went through was ridiculous. It was just for rapid transit and that is a boon-doggle. You need money for roads. Unfortunately we are car oriented people. We are not going to give up our cars.
GB: Did you know Dante Fascell?
JB: Dante Fascell park was built right before I was Mayor. In fact he endorsed my first opponent. But he was always very nice and cooperative with the city. Certainly he had a significant impact. He was a great role model.
GB: What kind of advice would you give a young politician today.
JB: Become a real person and not a political animal.. Get involved with the people. If you plan to run for office get involved with that area with different projects and meeting and then start walking. I did it before Lawton Childs ever thought of doing it.
GB: Do you remember Fuchs Bakery and any other businesses.
JB: It smelled beautiful. All throughout South Miami you knew the bakery was there. They were very active in the city and the park. They were not my political allies but neither were they enemies. Margoles and Sunset Drugs although he was not in South Miami. I gave him a plack and named them honorary citizens of the city. They were very active. South Miami at one time was solid to Bird Road. And a lot of people sued to get out of the city because they weren’t getting city services. In the 1930’s they sued to abolish the city. They had a fire engine that they owed money on and the court wouldn’t allow them to abolish the city. So we still in existence today because of a fire engine. You find that a lot of old business that have been there a while are moving out so that new people can come in and pay the big rents. WE are losing a lot of the mom and pop stores.
GB: When did you decide you had enough of politics.
JB: I was having fun. I enjoyed being mayor I got paid $300 a month so I wasn’t making a living but enjoyed it. But I started to not enjoy it as much.
GB: What were the things that made you enjoy it so much?
JB: In the black areas we had dirt roads no sidewalks no streets. There were wooden shacks. If you go through now the streets are there and a lot of good housing came in. We have a gray area where blacks and whites live together. I made the community a friendlier between blacks and whites and I always bragged that we had the lowest taxes in town.
A Librarian