Miami Community Celebrates Coconut Grove Civil Rights Icon Thelma Gibson on Her 99th Birthday, Her Non-Profit Raises $70,000 For House & Programs.

December 22nd, 2025

Top Miami elected officials, business leaders, family and friends came together this weekend (Friday, Dec. 19th) in Coconut Grove at the Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove for a luncheon fundraiser gathering to celebrate Black Civil Rights Icon Thelma Gibson as she turned 99 years old this month. Nearly 100 attendees used this monumental birthday to fundraise for her nonprofit– The Thelma Gibson Health Initiative, Inc. (TGHI)–which provides funding, housing, programs and resources for underserved Miami residents that need support with housing, homelessness, substance abuse, ptsd/trauma, job training, poverty, HIV and more.

Commissioner Raquel Regalado attended Mrs. Gibson’s beautiful celebration and provided a Proclamation to her, marking Dec. 19th the official Thelma Gibson Day in Coconut Grove while honoring all the work and dedication she has provided to the community over the past 99 years as a nurse, civil rights advocate and leader.

Mrs. Gibson has dedicated her life to helping the disenfranchised Black community in Coconut Grove achieve fair housing, equality and access to jobs, an adverse point in history that has often been left out of Coconut Grove’s history.

Coconut Grove was originally inhabited by Bahamians who migrated from the Caribbean since the 1800’s and established/built many of the first houses and communities in Coconut Grove, co-existing with fellow Native Americans. Coconut Grove is commonly known as “the little Bahamas” in the Black Miami community because so many Bahamians first lived here in the 1800s-1900s and established and built the city up.

Over $70,000 was raised at Mrs. Gibson’s extraordinary 99th birthday luncheon thanks to a silent auction of donated luxury goods/services provided by local Coconut Grove businesses as well as on-going fundraising efforts by the TGHI non-profit organization.

Hosted in collaboration with Mrs. Gibson’s other organization– the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Miami-Dade County–to celebrate her birthday 99 years ago in 1903 in Coconut Grove. Mrs. Gibson ultimately went on to attend segregated school in Coconut Grove from grades K-12 and through perseverance ultimately overcoming systematic discrimination, segregation inequality in the workplace due to her skin color and gender. This led her to dedicate her life to fighting for true equality for all: “She paved the path for so many of us successful Black and Brown Miami residents working and building companies and brands here in Miami today in 2025. Thelma has truly become a beacon of hope and admiration in Coconut Grove as a successful civil rights leader, community member, compassionate nurse and advocate for equality,” said Merline Barton, President and Co-Founder of TGHI.

Mrs. Gibson was the sixth of 14 children born and has dedicated the last 99 years of her life to uplifting and supporting disenfranchised communities with proactive programs and support through her non-profit and the WCC, which she also founded 25 years ago. Mrs. Gibson has dedicated her life to sharing and promoting education, financial literacy, and mental health wellness with an emphasis on the Brown and Black community.

The TGHI currently serves low-income and disenfranchised communities across Miami-Dade County who are often battling economic inequality, poverty, illiteracy, drug dependency, HIV contraction, delinquency, teen pregnancy, gang violence, crime, mental health crises and/or hopelessness. “Thelma has done so much for us and the local Miami community and we’re blessed to celebrate her impact and continue building on her legacy to support others in need during hard times. As we celebrate her 99th birthday this week, we’ll be able to bring together some of the most prominent women and men of Miami-Dade County and do some incredible good in her honor,” said Jordan Thomas, Director of Strategic Initiatives.

Fundraiser proceeds from this 99th birthday celebration luncheon will directly support the renovation of TGHI’s newly acquired property, which will become the organization’s first permanent home and co-work space, which is Mrs. Gibson’s ultimate vision for stability, dignity, and community empowerment. “I’m proud to have the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Miami-Dade County be a part of this new TGHI chapter, with a dedicated office space as we work on future collaborative ventures and programs that provide positive change in the Miami community. This shared TGHI facility is especially meaningful as Mrs. Gibson not only founded TGHI, but also established the WCC, continuing her legacy of uplifting women, families, and the greater community,” Dr. Melissa stated.

ABOUT THE THELMA GIBSON HEALTH INITIATIVE (TGHI)

The Thelma Gibson Health Initiative (TGHI) is a Florida registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization has been dedicated to making a positive impact in the local South Florida community for 25 years through various programs and initiatives that deliver essential support, resources, and opportunities to disenfranchised communities throughout Miami-Dade County. No matter how small or big a task, from providing clothing, housing, job training or delivering programs that help combat poverty, illiteracy, drug dependency, HIV transmission, delinquency, teen pregnancy, gang violence, crime, and hopelessness, TGHI is dedicated to . Since 2000, inspired by Mrs. Thelma V. Gibson’s involvement in the local Miami-Dade County community, TGHI has focused on developing brighter futures for individuals and families facing socio-economic, emotional or discriminatory challenges by working with and employing caring and experienced professionals including counselors, certified behavior analysts, case managers, and vocational training staff that lead others to a thriving career and a successful, positive life. To learn more, please visit https://www.tghi-cg.org.