A Miami-Dade County street has been renamed in recognition of Drs. Dazelle and George Simpson, two physicians whose careers broke racial barriers and expanded health-care access for Black communities across Florida.
The City of Miami and Miami-Dade County renamed Percival Avenue to George and Dazelle Simpson Way. Dr. Dazelle Simpson was Florida’s first board-certified Black pediatrician, and her husband, Dr. George Simpson, one of the state’s first Black surgeons.
The ceremony marked a moment of reflection not only on the Simpsons’ professional achievements, but also on the values they embodied throughout their lives.
Dr. Nelson L. Adams, master of ceremony and past president of the National Medical Association, said their impact went far beyond their medical titles and was reflected in how they showed up for their community every day.
“The Simpsons didn’t just talk the talk; they walked the walk,” Adams said. “[The renaming] serves as a reminder that to whom much is given, much is not only expected, but required of you.”
Carol Davis Henley Byrd, a longtime friend of the couple, worked with Dr. George Simpson after his wife’s death in 2020 to have a street named in her honor until his passing in 2024.
“When people wanted to honor her in the past, she would say, ‘No you don’t need to do this for me,’” Byrd recalled. “She would only agree to it if whatever they were doing was going to raise money for a good cause, healthcare, or for Meharry Medical College.”
The Simpsons’ medical careers spanned decades when only 6% of Florida’s physicians were Black. Together they dedicated 120 years to serving underserved communities and expanding access to quality healthcare.
Dazelle Simpson graduated from Fisk University and Meharry Medical College, where she met her husband. After completing her residency at Meharry’s Hubbard Hospital, she returned to Miami and practiced pediatrics for 42 years.
Her husband trained at Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St. Louis, served as a surgical resident at Hubbard Hospital and completed military service as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army’s Surgical Service at Fort Dix in New Jersey. He later served as a senior surgeon for the U.S. Public Health Service before joining his wife in Miami in 1958, where they opened a private general surgery practice.
George and Dazelle Simpson Way is located in front of their home in Coconut Grove, one of Miami’s oldest neighborhoods, celebrated for its historic landmarks, local businesses and role as a gathering place for residents and visitors alike.
Byrd said it was important for that street to be named after the Simpsons, so their legacy could live on forever.
“There are so many things that Blacks have done in Miami, and our history is dying,” she said. “In about five or 10 years, this area of Coconut Grove that used to be all Black will only have a sprinkle of us, so hopefully that sign will be a reminder.”
Aside from his medical career, George Simpson was a local leader in the Civil Rights Movement during the early 1960s. He helped integrate lunch counters, including one in the hospital cafeteria, served as president of the Miami chapter of the NAACP and spearheaded several projects aimed at providing housing for low- and middle-income families.
Derrick Brown, a Miami native, attended the ceremony to honor the Simpsons, longtime friends of his parents.
He said the ceremony was just as beautiful as the couple, serving as a reminder of the inspiration and support they had been in his life.
“Dr. George Simpson inspired me to participate in community service with his example of being a civil rights hero in Miami and integrating the city of Miami Beach,” Brown said. “I couldn’t have been more blessed to know them.
For the community, George and Dazelle Simpson Way is more than a street sign. It is a permanent reminder of the couple’s lifelong commitment to service, equality and uplifting others.
Their work continues to inspire residents, and the renaming ensures that future generations will remember the impact of two pioneers who dedicated their lives to making a difference.
“Their legacy is a reminder of what can be done and what has now been handed off to us to continue to do: to lift up the community, lift up one another, and do the best you can with what you have,” Adams said.
Morgan Knight, who grew up in Miami, covers culture, lifestyles and trends for HUNewsService.com.
