CALEB CENTER AND COURTHOUSE OPEN

On February 6, 1972 Joseph Caleb,  34, a lawyer and head of the International Union of North American Laborers was found behind his apartment building dead, his body riddled with half a dozen gunshot wounds. The NY Times article reporting the murder is here. 
The Union that Mr. Caleb headed was the second largest Union local in the US and its membership was 85% black. 

Joseph Caleb headed the Union local from 1963 until his murder. During the turbulent times of the 1960's black laborers were-not surprisingly- paid significantly less than their white counterparts. Raised by his grandparents who were Alabama share-croppers- Caleb fought for the right to equal pay for his Union members. During his leadership, according to this Miami Herald Article written by Mr. Calen's son in 2014, pay for black workers in the union rose from $1.15/hour to $5.30/hour plus benefits. 

As Mr. Caleb's son also writes, his father was more than a union leader. He was a civil rights activist, a philanthropist who supported more than 16 charities, the chairman of the Model City Program - a President Johnson era program to bring a community center to Miami- the one that is now named for Mr. Caleb. Mr. Caleb brought the free-school-lunch program for inner city youth to Miami, and a youth summer job program as well. 

The Caleb Center is located at 5400 NW 22nd Avenue. The Judges assigned to the re-opening of the Courthouse are Gordon Murray (civil) and Jacqueline Woodward (criminal). 

Many of us went to law school to make the world a better place. Few of us actually do so. Joseph Caleb did and the courthouse and community center are a fitting tribute to the man and his life.