The community is invited to join Mayor Teri Johnston, the City Commission, and City Manager Patti McLauchlin for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to honor our One Human Family portico at Bayview Park. The ceremony is at 5:30 on Monday, November 7, at the west end of Bayview Park. The creator of the motto, JT Thompson, will also attend.
In advance of the ribbon cutting, Commissioner Mary Lou Hoover and the family of Ainsley Nicole Tibbett invite the community to the dedication of the first suicide awareness bench in the City of Key West. This dedication will also be held at Bayview Park.
Twenty-two years ago, the Key West City Commission unanimously adopted "One Human Family" as our City's official philosophy of unity, equality, and diversity. The resolution read that "all people are our equals" and urged "growing beyond the artificial limitations of racism, nationalism, sexism, classism, monotheism, prejudice, homophobia and every other illusion used to separate us from all being equal." Thanks to JT Thompson, our inclusive philosophy has spread worldwide on over 4.7 million stickers and nearly 100,000 wristbands… always free.
In 2020, the City Commission voted to officially name the Portico and Bandstand in Bayview Park with the motto. A sign was installed on the Bandstand, making it the "One Human Family Pavilion," and now the Portico, too, sports the "One Human Family" name. Special thanks to City Commissioner Sam Kaufman for envisioning this as a symbol of unity for Key West.
The bandstand was erected in 1990 by then-City Commissioner Sally Lewis, working with State Representative Ron Saunders and the Cultural Affairs Committee. It was never given a formal name until now.
The small portico was built in 1924 by a chapter of the Stephen Mallory Daughters of the Confederacy to honor Confederate soldiers.
The One Human Family Pavilion & Portico are adjacent to Bayview Park's revered Military Memorials, including a large statue dedicated to Black Soldiers who fought for the Union in the Civil War.
