Established in 1923 as a Christian-Jewish coalition, this organization evolved into a dedicated human rights entity in Miami, aimed at ensuring equality and empathy across all races, cultures, genders, and social backgrounds. The launch was triggered by the rising menace of bigotry and racism, with the Ku Klux Klan as a potent symbol of these threats.

By the end of the 1920s, NCCJ formed a committee focused on promoting goodwill among Christians and Jews. It initiated programs that cultivated positive interfaith relationships, with its first major event being a national seminar in 1929. This gathering addressed anti-Catholic sentiment, featuring speakers from Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish faiths.

NCCJ broke new ground in 1933, introducing the “Tolerance Trio” – a minister, a rabbi, and a priest. This marked an innovative approach to religious acceptance in the United States.

MCCJ began to celebrate exemplary Miamians with the Humanitarian Silver Medallion Award in 1946, spotlighting leaders whose community engagements aligned with MCCJ’s mission of nurturing an inclusive Miami.

The late 1940s to the late 1960s witnessed the transformative Civil Rights Movement. Amid this context, Miami initiated community dialogues and interfaith groups to bridge racial gaps and bolster unity among Catholics, Protestants, and Jews.

From 1960 to 1990 and beyond, MCCJ collaborated with Miami’s police force to instill an unbiased perspective in street policing, with the goal of mitigating racial and cultural prejudice and to curtail police violence. After Post the 1980 McDuffie riots, MCCJ and the Community Relations Board developed policy recommendations, grounded in community hearings, as documented in their report, Overcoming Racial and Ethnic Isolation in Miami.

Despite the discontinuation of funding for a vital program due to an economic downturn in the late 2000s, MCCJ persevered in its quest to re-establish civilian oversight of police in Miami-Dade.

MCCJ launched “Camp MetroTown” in 2011, a six-day residential summer camp for high school students. The camp equips young individuals with the tools to identify personal prejudices and privileges and to understand their responsibilities. It also prepares them to tackle challenging discussions related to cultural, ethnic, religious, gender, orientation, and socio-economic diversity.

MCCJ, in collaboration with The Miami Herald, the Miami Foundation, United Way of Miami-Dade, the Children’s Trust, and Radical Partners, initiated a program named “Ten Days of Connection” in 2016. Aimed at addressing rising societal divisiveness, this annual community-led challenge encourages locals to connect with diverse groups of people, fostering shared experiences and human connections.

In recognition of our expanding mission, we rebranded our organization as Mosaic Miami. We adopted Adopting a new name that reflects our city’s vibrance, while remaining rooted in our history, honoring the legacy of Silver Medallion honorees, and forever committed to our mission to embrace all of our differences in order to build a united, stronger, and more resilient Miami.