Miami Dolphins players tour historic Overtown on Juneteenth to understand the community's deep roots

While the international sports world focuses on soccer matches inside Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Dolphins are making sure their newest players understand the deep roots of the community they now call home.

Ahead of the Juneteenth holiday, the Dolphins' rookie class stepped away from the gridiron this week to tour historic Overtown. Walking alongside local student-athletes, the rookies spent the afternoon learning about the neighborhood's rich history, its cultural impact, and the generations of Black leaders who shaped it.

For Miami historian Dr. Marvin Dunn, who guided the tour, teaching the incoming players about the area's heritage is a vital part of welcoming them to South Florida.

"The number one thing I want them to take away from this experience is that they're home now," Dunn said. "They're home now, for however long that's gonna be. This is their community. I want them to feel welcome, comfortable, and knowledgeable about this community."

Dunn, 86, has spent decades documenting local history. He noted that the Dolphins represent one of the most recognizable brands in the region, making it even more important for the players to be in tune with their surroundings.

"I know the stories," Dunn said. "I think I can give an authentic account of our history. I think the people are interested in it, and that's why I'm doing it."

During the tour, the players visited several buildings that have stood for more than a century, offering them a tangible connection to the past.

"We walked into a few different historical buildings that have been up for 100-plus years. That's just crazy," said rookie Chris Johnson. "Just to be able to see the paintings on the wall from certain people and just understanding the history."

For some players, the trip provided a brand-new perspective on the American South.

"I'm actually from Texas, so I wasn't too familiar with the culture and the history down here," rookie Trey Moore said. "But it's very cool to find out, to learn. Being from the South, obviously, it was a lot of the same situations and circumstances in Texas. It's just very cool to see where we came from, overcoming those things and where we made it to today."

Dolphins executives noted that community educational events are a core part of the franchise's identity, especially surrounding milestones like Juneteenth.

"This is such a fun time of year for us," said Kim Miller, an executive with the Dolphins organization. "We get to invite the rookies out to learn about their new city — to learn about Miami and the history here in Overtown in particular. Ahead of Juneteenth, they're really learning about the Black history in the area and how Black history shapes this city as a whole."

As Overtown continues to evolve, Dunn hopes that high-profile visits like this will remind the broader public of the neighborhood's enduring value.

"Overtown is still here. We still have beautiful Overtown," Dunn said. "We're still doing good things in Overtown — not just all drugs and crime. It's a historic community that deserves preservation, and I hope people see the opportunity to come."