For years, the People’s Bar-B-Q in Overtown has sat vacant and undergone renovations. The restaurant was once a cornerstone of the neighborhood’s Black cultural hub that was also once known for its entertainment district.

But it will see new life after Saturday when the winner of a cookoff is crowned. Three eateries will battle it out to serve food out of the historic building. I’ve never had the pleasure of eating at People’s Bar-B-Q, so I’m already looking forward to the mouthwatering food that will be served once the lucky winner sets up shop.

The cookoff comes as a new Overtown staple, Red Rooster, celebrates five years in the neighborhood staking its own claim as a staple in Black Miami. While Overtown has been known for its entertainment district heyday, it may be time for it to embrace becoming a food destination for Black foodies.

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INSIDE THE 305:

More than five years later, Red Rooster restaurant is a crown jewel of Black Miami

Red Rooster has sustained itself over five years as a Black-owned business central to Miami’s culture and a community fixture in Overtown as the neighborhood undergoes a renaissance.

Black FIU students feel unsafe and unheard after campus group’s racist texts

Interviews with more than a half-dozen Black students describe a campus where racist incidents and microaggressions feel routine and where meaningful conversations about race are increasingly constrained.

3 restaurants will compete for a spot inside a historic Overtown barbecue place

More than a decade after it closed for renovations, People’s Bar-B-Q in Overtown will soon be home to a new restaurant.

OUTSIDE THE 305:

Why going to an HBCU might be better for Black students’ health

A study published last month in JAMA Network Open sampled 1,978 Black Americans who attended a college between 1940 and 1980 and found those who attended an HBCU had better memory and cognitive function than those who attended a PWI.

The In Living Color Effect

PBS NewsHour co-anchor and co-managing editor Geoff Bennett’s book Black Out Loud; The Revolutionary History of Black Comedy From Vaudeville to 90s Sitcoms, which chronicles Black comedic television. Here is a snippet of the book, which I look forward to adding to my bookshelf.

HIGH CULTURE: 2026 Africana Arts & Humanities Festival

In marking the existence of Black life and culture during America’s 250 years, the African American Research Library and Cultural Center is holding its Africana Arts and Humanities Festival on Friday and Saturday with a theme that honors Langston Hughes’ poem “I, Too.” Explore the history of Sistrunk or attend Friday night’s reception or select an event of your choosing to honor Black people and their history.

This story was originally published March 26, 2026 at 2:04 PM.