Christina M. Eve was born March 18, 1917 in Gainesville, Florida, to Jesse and Nellie Martin. Encouraged by her sister Kizzie Dorsey, who often spoke of the business boom in Miami, Jesse moved the family to Miami in 1925. Eve grew up in Colored Town/Overtown at 1717 NW 5^th Avenue with the Johnson, Bethel, Newbold, and Sand families as neighbors. Her family attended Ebenezer United Methodist Church, where Eve has been an active member for 75 years.

Eve attended Dunbar Elementary and went on to graduate from Booker T. Washington Junior/Senior High School in 1935. In 1939, she graduated from Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona, Florida, then returned to Miami to become a substitute teacher for the Dade County Public School System. Later on, she became a permanent teacher at Liberty City Elementary School. In 1940, while teaching at Liberty City, Eve, along with other teachers, helped organize the Egelloc Civic and Social Club. Egelloc Club was established by a group of women dedicated to social change and the improvement of conditions for black youth in the Miami community. The club was named Egelloc (college spelled backwards) because it was something that all women had in common, they were all college graduates. Today, the Egelloc Club continues to be a contributing force in the community. One of the major programs instituted by the club is the “Men of Tomorrow”, a program that encourages 11^th grade males to continue their pursuit of higher education.

In 1943, Eve married and moved to New York for 15 years. In New York she owned and operated her own business, Public Demographics and Mail Listing. During World War II, the U.S. Government employed her as a Junior Buyer for the New York Military Subsistence Market Center. Eve states that “this was one of the most interesting jobs I ever held outside of teaching.”

Eve returned to Miami when her father died, and her mother became ill. Before Eve’s arrival, Mrs. Linnie W. Fannin spotted her name on a list of returning educators and immediately hired her to teach at R.R. Molten Elementary. She was later appointed as the reading teacher for the district. Eve was in charge of developing and writing diagnostic tests to be used by south districts to improve student reading levels and fundamentals. At the time, she was part of the only diagnostic center in the county.

As a result of her success with the literacy program in Dade County, the Carnegie Foundation selected Eve as Associate Director of all reading fundamentals at Bethune-Cookman College. Eve was now responsible for training teachers in surrounding counties.

Eve was appointed assistant principal of Pine Villa Elementary from 1968 to 1969. In 1970, she became the first black to be appointed principal at an all-white school, Treasure Island Elementary on Miami Beach, and served in that capacity from 1970 to 1980. In 1980, Eve was selected as the first principal at the newly opened, and only Solar Energy School in the Southeast, Floyd Elementary in South Dade. She served as principal there until she retired from the Dade County Public School System in 1984.

Eve achieved great success, and received many accolades over the years: BA Degree (Shaw University, Raleigh, NC); Master’s Degree (New York University); Advanced Study (University of Miami, Barry University, Fl Atlantic University); Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority-Registered Agent of the Allene V. Taylor Memorial Center; United Methodist-District Secretary; Church Women United-1^st Vice President; Dade County Retired Teachers Association-1^st black female president; Class of 1935 (High School)-Class President; and letters of commendation from Senator Robert Graham and Governor Lawton Chiles for her dedication and accomplishments in education.

On November 9, 2000, Eve was bestowed yet another honor by Miami-Dade County Public Schools: a brand new 8 million-dollar school was dedicated in her honor, the Christina M. Eve Elementary School.