Miami Mayor Unveils Black History Month-Themed Police Cruiser

Miami police are catching heat over a newly revealed cruiser design intended to commemorate Black History Month.

According to WSVN, the vehicle debuted on Thursday outside the Black Police Precinct and Courthouse Museum in the Overtown neighborhood. Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez and Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales helped unveil the cruiser, which was wrapped in Pan-African colors, Black Power fists, and an outline of the African continent.

“This is a beautiful collaboration to commemorate Black history and Black History Month and the history of African Americans and our police department and our city,” Suarez during the unveiling event. “This is Black history.”

According to the Miami Police Department, the event included appearances by some of the city’s first Black officers.

While some applauded the department for recognizing Black History Month, many criticized the design as visually unappealing, performative, and flat-out tone-deaf. Twitter users pointed to the fraught relationship between law enforcement and Black Americans, who are disproportionately impacted by police violence. 

You can check out some of the reactions below.