Vice Chairman McGhee to host a street-naming ceremony honoring Judge Melvia Bailey-Green

Vice Chairman Kionne L. McGhee will host a special street-naming ceremony honoring Judge Melvia Bailey-Green, recognizing her groundbreaking contributions to the community and the legal profession. A stretch of Southwest 146th Terrace (between Southwest 103rd Avenue and Buchanan Street) will be designated as Judge Melvia Bailey-Green Terrace. The event will take place Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Ferguson Park, SW 146th St., Miami, FL 33176.

Judge Melvia Bailey-Green has left an indelible mark on our county. Below are just a few facts about her life and her incredible achievements:

• Raised in the historic Richmond Heights area of South Miami-Dade County, Judge Green attended Frank C. Martin Elementary and graduated from Killian High School.
• She earned her Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University in 1975, followed by a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 1978.
• In 1980, she became the first African-American female Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Florida.
• Appointed to the Florida bench, she served as a County Judge (1987–1989) and then as a Circuit Judge (1989–1994) — earning the distinction of being the first African-American woman to serve as a Circuit Court Judge in Florida, and the only one in Miami-Dade County until 2018.
• In 1994, she ascended to the Third District Court of Appeal, becoming the first African-American woman to serve on that appellate court, ultimately authoring more than 1,000 opinions in her tenure.
• After retiring from active judicial service in 2008, Judge Bailey-Green established Melvia B. Green, P.A., in Tampa, where she continues to contribute as a mediator, arbitrator, and special master, lending her expertise across a wide array of civil matters.
• Her long list of honors includes recognition as a Legal Legend by History Miami, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daily Business Review, the Trailblazer Award from the Dade County Bar Association, among numerous others. She was also a founding member of what is now the Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association.  

For more information and to RSVP, please email [email protected].