Police have launched an investigation after vandals targeted murals of baseball legends Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso.
The paintings, located along a fence in Miami’s Dorsey Park, are part of a collection of artwork honoring multiple legendary baseball stars.
Negro League teams once played games at the historic park.
Prominent members of the community held a news conference and said the vandalism was initially discovered by a 7-year-old boy. The marks left on the murals were identified as Nazi symbols, speakers at the news conference said.
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Plywood has since been placed over the murals of Robinson and Miñoso.
“I know you may not be able to show it on television, but we need the community to uncover the hurt and the hatred that is existing,” said Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant, executive director of the City of Miami Black Police Precinct. “The reason why this keeps being perpetuated is because we keep covering it up.”
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On Wednesday, Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick described the vandalism as a “vile act of hatred.”
“We must treat this for what it is: a hate crime meant to instill fear and division. But we will not be intimidated. We will respond with unity, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to truth, justice, and the preservation of our history,” she said.
Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947 when he became the first Black player, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Miñoso became MLB’s first Afro-Latino player and the first Black player for the Chicago White Sox.
The murals have been displayed in the park since 2011.
Police have yet to make any arrests for the vandalism. Fox News Digital contacted the Miami Police Department for more information.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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