Hate-fueled vandalism shocks Overtown as community rallies to restore historic murals
The vandalism occurred sometime Sunday on murals honoring legendary Black baseball players Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso.
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Tania Francois returned to CBS News Miami in November 2022 as Executive Producer Impacting Communities (EPIC), helping tell stories that reflect South Florida's diverse cultural communities.
Her commitment to impactful journalism continues to earn recognition. In December 2024, Tania won an Emmy Award in the Daily News Report category for her reporting from Haiti. That year, she traveled with Missionary Flights International to cover relief efforts in Cap-Haïtien and Pignon during a period of severe instability, when airports and seaports were shut down. Her reporting also earned a 2025 National Association of Black Journalists Salute to Excellence Award in the International category.
In April 2026, Tania was recognized by the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists as a winner in the Breaking News - Individual category for her coverage of the murder of Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Deputy Devin Jaramillo. She was also a finalist in the Feature - Culture/Historical category for "The Railroad Shop Colored Addition."
A seasoned multimedia journalist, Tania has extensive experience in television, digital news reporting and public relations. She believes every story, whether good or bad, holds a valuable lesson.
Tania's career has taken her to several markets across the Southeast, including Beckley, West Virginia; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Little Rock, Arkansas. She later returned to South Florida to work at WPEC-TV, the CBS affiliate in West Palm Beach, where she served as an assignment editor and hosted social media news briefs.
Tania's first tenure at CBS News Miami was from 2016 to 2018, when she worked as an assignment editor, marking the beginning of her connection with the station.
A proud Haitian American, Tania is the first person in her family born in the U.S. She was born at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, is fluent in Creole and enjoys exploring South Florida's vibrant Caribbean and African American food scenes.
Tania is deeply committed to her community and is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and the National Association of Black Journalists. She graduated from Miami Central Senior High School and earned a degree in mass communications with a concentration in broadcast journalism from Bethune-Cookman University. While in college, Tania reported for the Daytona Times, covering presidential visits and community issues.
Tania is currently pursuing a master's degree in mass communications at the University of Florida, specializing in digital journalism and multimedia storytelling. She has a 3.9 cumulative GPA and is expected to graduate in 2027.
In her free time, Tania enjoys volunteering, reading and spending quality time with her family, including her niece, Esther, and her Maltipoo, Beckley.
The vandalism occurred sometime Sunday on murals honoring legendary Black baseball players Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso.
This week's Miami Proud is about a teacher who'll spend her summer doing homework thanks to her students and an international fellowship.
On Monday evening, the department announced that the Job Corps program, which has operated since 1964, is being "paused" as part of a nationwide closure.
Despite a Level 4 travel advisory and mounting dangers, many say their lives and work are in Haiti and they're willing to risk everything to go back.
DeJaya Hardy, who earned a 5.3 GPA through dual enrollment and Cambridge courses, has accepted a full ride to the University of Florida.
The company has since suspended an employee and says it has implemented new training and controls.
Rebekah Antoine, an American-born public health professional, says her heart has always been in Haiti and now, she's ready to make it her permanent home.
In an interview on CBS This Morning, the Pope's brother, John Prevost, confirmed their maternal grandparents were from Haiti.
In April, a jury found Anthawn Ragan guilty of premeditated first-degree murder in the shooting death of Luis Perez at a Motel 7.
Jessie Lovette said the lack of documentation has haunted her throughout her life, "It's like I'm nobody."
A Miami-Dade woman said she's caught in limbo trying to get her Real ID driver's license. She can't prove she was ever born.
An FSU student said the experience mirrored another terrifying moment in his life when he was in sixth grade and had to shelter in place during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Traci Young-Byron says seeing her students accomplish their dreams keeps her motivated.
Osgood was once a single mother, a college dropout with an arrest record. She was unhoused, living in her car and on the streets.
Nearly 80 years later, descendants of the Railroad Shop Colored Addition say their families were never compensated by the City of Miami.