|
|
AfroCubaWeb
|
|
Black Florida | Black Miami |
|
|
| Trailer 2 for The Black Miami, a documentary
based on
Black Miami by Dr. Marvin Dunn |
Florida Gave Out Irma Food Stamps on Election Day, Keeping Poor Voters From
Polls 11/8/2017 Miami New Times: "The one thing all of those people trapped
in food-stamp lines certainly weren't doing was voting. Someone, somewhere,
should have bumped the event forward a day."
White Nationalist who Fantasized, Plotted Murder of Minorities Discovered to be
Law Enforcement Leader 10/24/2017 DC Weekly: "A top law-enforcement
official in Palm Beach County, Florida is coming under fire for allegedly being
a white nationalist, fantasizing and plotting the death of black citizens or
Jews. Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Michael Gauger was exposed
for his correspondence with other members of the now-defunct White Nationalist
website Stormfront, whose members were linked to as many one hundred hate-crime
deaths."
KKK Grand Dragon gets outed as Florida college student — and classmates want him
gone 10/23/2017 Raw Story: "Students at Jacksonville, Florida’s University
of North Florida were shocked when they discovered their “normal”-looking
classmate is a KKK “grand dragon.” In interviews with The Tab, UNF students
describe their interactions with Ken Parker, a well-known racist profiled
multiple times for his hateful ideology."
Vigil held for Keegan Roberts 10/21/2017 News4Jax: [refusal to name Michael
Centanni.] "The family members of Roberts were passing out flyers calling for
State Attorney Melissa Nelson to review the case again. Police said Roberts'
neighbor, who News4Jax is not naming because he hasn't been charged with a
crime, shot Roberts after some type of dispute between the two."
Florida should help protect Puerto Ricans’ voting rights 10/13/2017 Miami
Herald: "Puerto Ricans residing on the mainland can vote in federal elections.
Yet while participation in elections is above 80% on the island, once Puerto
Ricans move, their voting rates drop, due in part to barriers to participation
caused by voter suppression policies that must be changed. For example, in
states requiring photo voter ID, Puerto Rican birth certificates issued prior to
2010 are not accepted to get the identification needed to vote. Post-Maria, it
is going to be impossible for the Puerto Rican government to provide enough
updated birth certificates so her people may vote. Furthermore, there are costs
associated, and no one should pay for an updated photo ID to vote."
New Miami Herald Investigation Looks At Abuse In The Florida Department Of
Juvenile Justice 10/8/2017 WLRN: "One of the things that we had been told
again and again was that officers and youth-care workers were paying young
people in honey buns and other treats as a reward for dispensing discipline on
other unruly youth. And we had reason to believe, based upon what we were
hearing, that that might have been what resulted in Elord’s death."
Puerto Ricans are a surging, outraged political force in Florida in the
aftermath of Maria 10/6/2017 WaPo: "“All politics is about motivation, and
at this point, the Hispanic community here is extremely motivated against
Trump,” said Anthony Suarez, a lawyer and local political elder who was elected
the first Puerto Rican member of the Florida House in 1999. The community now
has six of its own representing Florida between the state legislature and the
U.S. House: three Republicans and three Democrats."
Voter Suppression in the 2016 Presidential Election 10/4/2017 Project
Censored: "Specifically, as a result of the Shelby decision, changes to voting
laws in nine states and parts of six others with long histories of racial
discrimination in voting were no longer subject to federal government approval.
Since Shelby, fourteen states, including many southern states and key swing
states, implemented new voting restrictions, in many cases just in time for the
election. Texas implemented a photo-ID law that resulted in one of the lowest
voter turnouts in the country. In North Carolina a voter-ID requirement
permitted just a few acceptable forms of identification: According to data from
the state’s board of elections, over 300,000 registered voters lacked even one
accepted form of ID. Arizona made changes to its voting laws that the Department
of Justice had previously rejected due to minority voter discrimination. Florida
converted to English-only elections in many counties, and also changed poll
locations at the last minute."
Decision not to file charges in Keegan Robert's death brings disappointment,
mistrust 10/3/2017 First Coast News: "He said even if the family fails to
have their day in a criminal court, this does not preclude their right to file a
civil lawsuit against their neighbor. The burden is a lot lower in civil cases."
Community group calls for justice in shooting deaths of 2 Jacksonville men 9/20/2017 News
4 Jax: "The group also called the shooting death of Keegan Roberts unjust.
Police said Roberts was shot and killed by a neighbor in July, but no arrest has
been made. Roberts' mother, Cecilia Shephard, told News4Jax she'll keep fighting
until that changes and she gets justice."
Russians Appear to Use Facebook to Push Trump Rallies in 17 U.S. Cities 9/20/2017 Daily
Beast: "Suspected Russia propagandists on Facebook tried to organize more than a
dozen pro-Trump rallies in Florida during last year’s election, The Daily Beast
has learned."
A Convicted Domestic Terrorist Was at the Charlottesville Nazi March 8/15/2017 War
is Boring: "At least one man who attended the Aug. 11, 2017 white supremacist
march in Charlottesville, Virginia, is a convicted domestic terrorist. Michael
Tubbs, currently the chairman of the Florida League of the South, spent four
years in prison after stealing military equipment and plotting to bomb black-
and Jewish-owned businesses in Jacksonville, Florida."
Politics as usual? Not with Cuban music in Miami anymore 8/6/2017 Repeating
Islands: "Miami’s Cuban music scene has a new, younger face that cares little —
if any — about politics. “The presence of Cuban artists who settled in Miami or
simply come and go constantly is very recent and has become something almost
normal, considering that until recently it was difficult and cumbersome to put
on any artist linked to the island in any way,” said Nemesio “Neme” González, a
producer and manager who also owns Neme’s Gastro Bar on Coral Way."
Young father fatally shot by neighbor, police say 7/20/2017 News4Jax: "Keegan
Von Roberts died after a shooting just after midnight on Peach Street, south of
Beach Boulevard. Police said it happened when an ongoing dispute escalated.
Homicide detectives questioned the man they believe fired the shot and later
released him. They said the case has been referred to the State Attorney's
Office."
MDC’s Koubek Center to Host 19th IFE-ILE Afro-Cuban Dance Festival 7/18/2017 MDC
News: "Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Koubek Center will once again host the annual
IFE-ILE Afro-Cuban Dance Festival, Aug. 14 – 19, a unique celebration of
Afro-Cuban culture through dance and music."
19th Annual IFE-ILE Afro-Cuban Dance Festival/Conference 7/17/2017 Repeating
Islands: "The 19th Annual IFE-ILE Afro-Cuban Dance Festival takes place August
14-19, 2017, in Miami. One of the related events is a conference that opens a
dialogue on topics relevant to the continuity and preservation of the Regla de
Ocha tradition. The conference—“Following the Steps of the Orishas: Afro-Cuban
Spirituality in Urban Spaces”—sponsored by the IFE-ILE Afro-Cuban Dance Company
and HistoryMiami Museum, will take place on Thursday, August 17, from 9:00am to
8:00pm at the Museum, located at 101 West Flagler Street, Miami."
This Collective Is Providing a Space for Miami’s Queer, Femme Community 7/12/2017 Remezcla: "There’s
a tension between the Miami I grew up experiencing – the food prepared by women,
the warmth they emit and the culture they carry with them home – and the
artificiality [prevalent in Miami] that stems from subscribing to a patriarchal,
consumerist society.” It’s that duality that has made her message resonate on
such a personal level for so many in South Florida. The pressure to look like a
video vixen is there but so too are the Dominican, Haitian, and Cuban matriarchs
who give the city its distinct energy."
Florida state attorney pulled over in traffic stop that goes nowhere fast 7/12/2017 CNN: "A
Florida state attorney who was pulled over in a traffic stop said she hopes to
use the incident as a teachable moment for police. Aramis Ayala, Florida's first
and only black elected state attorney, has been no stranger to controversy since
taking office as head of the 9th Judicial District, which covers Orange and
Osceola counties."
How Latino
Anti-Blackness Helped Kill Philando Castile: From Biases to Allyship 6/19/2017 OTRTC: "Latest
Episode of On The Road to Consciousness with César VInterview with Sandra
Abdallah-Alvarez Ramírez - "I got together with Sandra Abd'Allah-Alvarez
Ramirez, the Afro-Cuban journalist and cyber-activist who manages and is
responsible for the creation the Directory of Afro-Cuban Women. Sandra has
relentlessly been doing some incredible work with those she calls 'sus negras'
(her black women). Like Sandra, I too believe everyone should know who these
women are and what they have done. Most importantly, I believe everyone should
know about what they are doing today. Please join us in celebrating Afro-Cuban
women, literally, from most walks of life."argas?."
Big night for Florida Democrats ends in acrimony over chairman’s racial remarks 6/18/2017 Miami
Herald: "The Florida Democratic Party’s big annual fundraiser ended in acrimony
Saturday night after Stephen Bittel, the party chairman, dismissed anger from
lawmakers who didn’t get introduced on stage as a “childish” complaint from
African-American legislators. Bittel also said that state Sen. Oscar Braynon of
Miami Gardens, the Senate Democratic leader who had expressed lawmakers’
unhappiness to the chairman, was acting like “a 3-year-old.” Bittel has since
apologized."
Black Dade Democrats angered by a lack of action, injustice 5/31/2017 Miami
Times: "Black Democrats in Miami-Dade County say they are tired of party leaders
ignoring issues on the Black agenda: discrimination, police brutality and
economic justice. They say they are becoming more vocal about their displeasure
with the party even if Miami-Dade Democrats call for the resignation of State
Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle."
OPENING ARGUMENTS IN THE BROWN CASE 4/26/2017 Black Viewpont,
Jacksonville: "The Prosecutor went on to say this case is “all about lying,
cheating, and stealing!” In the words of U.S. Attorney Tyson Duva “, she lied on
her taxes about what she gave to her own church!” (Bethel Baptist) Their
strategy is to paint Brown as an accomplished liar and a corrupt politician, who
cares more about herself than disadvantaged kids.But the prosecution will have
to prove a lot more than that to convict Ms. Brown! (Half the people we know,
routinely lie on their income taxes and many others routinely lie on their tax
returns about how much they gave the church! The Prosecution will have to do a
more than paint the picture of being crooked it must be able to prove How she
did it and How she spent it!"
I'm with AUDREY 4/26/2017 Folio Weekly, Jacksonville: "Eventually, the
counternarrative emerged: Artiles was using a variation on the ethnic slur, and
his claim was that it wasn’t racial, it’s just how people talk in Hialeah."
NAACP Releases Report Card: Florida Failing in Key Categories 4/23/2017 Blogging
Black Miami: "The Diversity Matters Initiative examined the records of targeted
cities, counties, school districts and private corporations statewide. The NAACP
Florida State Conference examined their records on employment, advertising and
spending with minority, women and veteran-owned businesses. The NAACP Florida
State Conference conducts this review annually, proposes recommendations and
releases its findings to the public."
Florida donors among Donald Trump inauguration backers 4/22/2017 Pensacola
News Journal: "Florida Crystal Corps (West Palm Beach): $500,000" [Owned by the
Fanjules, owners of Domino sugar and a pillar of the plantocracy in exile.]
Florida State Senator Frank Artiles Resigns After Racial Remarks 4/21/2017 NBC
Miami: "Sen. Perry Thurston intervened and Artiles, a Cuban-American from the
Miami area, used a variation of the "n-word" and used a vulgarity to describe
Negron, according to the complaint filed Wednesday by Thurston."
Miami state senator curses at black lawmaker — and refers to fellow Republicans
as ‘niggas’ 4/18/2017 Miami Herald: "“He said, ‘If it wasn’t for these six
niggers,’” Gibson said. By way of explanation, he added, “‘I’m from Hialeah,’”
she said. “I said, ‘OK, Perry, I’m done,’” Gibson said. Gibson left the
conversation to go to the restroom. “I said, ‘Dude, did you say ‘niggers?’”
Thurston recounted. “‘No, I said ‘niggas,’” which is different in his mind.” But
not in Gibson’s and Thurston’s, they said."
“GOOD OLD BOY POLITICS” 4/3/2017 Black Viewpont, Jacksonville: "Community
activists like Denise Hunt and Biko Saboteur resound the growing distrust of JSO
held by many in the black community. They’ve been critical of police-involved
shootings and JSO’s lack of transparency and accountability. The trust issue has
been exacerbated by statistics that reveal an epidemic rate of JSO-involved
shootings of unarmed African Americans. Just in the last six years, Jacksonville
police officers have shot 54 people—40 of them black. Statistics like these led
two community groups to file formal complaints with the Justice Department to
investigate JSO for excessive use of force."
‘People Power’ comes to Miami 3/15/2017 Miami Times: "O’Brien and her
friends — all Black females — were among thousands who jammed into the Watsco
Center at the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables for resistance
training, marking the beginning of a movement that the national American Civil
Liberties Union dubs “People Power.”"
The State of Black Broward: Starting the Conversation 3/9/2017 West Side
Gazette: "Last week: “The dismal statistics presented at the recent “State of
Black Broward” conference: only eight of the county’s 90 judges are Black; Black
motorists are stopped 1.9 times more than whites for seat belt violations;
median household income is $74,000 for whites and $43,000 for Blacks; the
unemployment rate last year was 4.4 percent but nine percent for Blacks; and, of
the more than 800 firefighters in Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire-Rescue, only 54
are Black. Combined with recent studies showing racial disparities in school
suspensions and sentencing, there is but one conclusion: Broward has a race
problem,” stated Clarence V. McKee, president, McKee Communications in an op-ed
in the South Florida 100- Sun Sentinel Sunday March 5, 2017."
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER GALLON SALUTES THE ARTS VIA RECOGNITION OF CURRENT
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS AND ALUMNI INVOLVED THE
CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED FILM ‘MOONLIGHT’ 1/25/2017 Blogging Black
Miami: "Miami-Dade County School Board Member Dr. Steve Gallon III will present
an agenda item and resolution at the Board’s upcoming monthly meeting
recognizing several current and former students who were involved in the
critically-acclaimed film, ‘Moonlight’ that chronicles the life of a young Black
male from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world
while growing up in Miami’s renowned Liberty City neighborhood."
Florida High School Students Stage Sit In To Demand African-American History Be
Taught Year Round 1/12/2017 Vibe: "A student at Terry Parker High School in
Jacksonville, Fla., organized a sit-in with about 10 other students in hopes
officials will allow the African-American history elective be taught year round.
Currently, students can take the class for a semester or half the year.
Organizer Angelina Roque said the purpose of this protest was simply to get
officials at the Duval County school to “make them hear us, make them see us
[and] make them listen to us.”"
How Oscar Favorite ‘Moonlight’ Subtly Illuminates the Erasure of Miami’s Black
Cubans 1/6/2017 Remezcla: “Lotta black folks in Cuba but you wouldn’t
know it from being here [in Miami].” Juan is referring to the fact that black
Cubans tend to be invisible in Miami, and in the United States in general, their
voices and experiences drowned out by the very vocal and largely white,
anti-communist exile community."
BMe Community Giving Away Over A Quarter Million Dollars to Black Men Doing
Positive Works in the Community 1/3/2017 Blogging Black Miami: "BMe
Community wants to reward unsung "Black Men's Genius" in Miami. From now until
February 21, black men who share their remarkable stories of creating
opportunities for others will have a chance to become BMe Leaders."
IFE-ILE Afro-Cuban Dance Company to Expand Annual Festival with Prestigious 2016
Knight Arts Challenge Grant 12/17/2016 Blogging Black Miami: "IFE-ILE
Afro-Cuban Dance Company, Miami’s premier Afro-Cuban cultural organization, has
been awarded a prestigious 2016 Knight Arts Challenge grant in the amount of
$20,000 to expand its one-of-a-kind annual Afro-Cuban dance festival. IFE-ILE is
a two-time winner of the Knight Arts Challenge."
Making America Great Again? Miami homeowner refuses to remove racially-offensive
Halloween display 10/31/2016 Blogging Black Miami: "A Halloween display of
a mock hanging of two men in the gated Miami community of Three Lakes has caused
quite a bit of controversy. A Trump-Pence campaign yard sign is also near the
hanging dark-hued dummies dressed in urban-themed clothing. The yard sign is
actually in the adjoining yard of a neighbor and exacerbates an already
racially-sensitive situation. Donald Trump has encouraged violence against
protestors at his presidential campaign rallies and his campaign is closely
associated with white nationalists."
Dummies Lynched Next to a Trump Sign for Halloween in Kendall UPDATED 10/28/2016 Miami
New Times: "Donald Trump and his campaign have repeatedly denied that their
dog-whistle politics have enabled white supremacists, racists, or anti-Semites.
Trump's supporters — especially the Republican politicians who support him —
have found convenient ways to dance around the fact that some portion of Trump's
base is, by all indications, motivated by racial hatred."
LIBERTY SQUARE: Power,
History, & Race in Miami 10/25/2016 Liberty Square Rising, YouTube: "On
January 29, 2015, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced that Liberty
Square, one of the country’s oldest public housing developments would be “razed
and redeveloped.” Built in 1937 during the New Deal and under Jim Crow, the
development was the first segregated public housing in the United States, built
to house black residents of Miami moving out of the crowded black community in
downtown Miami know as Colored Town (now called Overtown)."
In 'Moonlight,' Growing Up Black, Gay And Poor In 1980s Miami 10/18/2016 NPR: "And
he was struck by the ways in which the men in the story interact, "the
gentleness and the kindness of the character Juan. And knowing that he was based
on something in reality," says Jenkins. "When I jogged my memory, I thought back
on growing up in the village, there were these men who would every now and then
just go out of their way to be like, naw, naw, naw, don't do that. Leave that
guy alone, or this or that. The men give each other dap, you know?"
Miami-Set ‘Moonlight’ is a Heartwrenching Exploration of Gay Black Masculinity
With Echoes of Cuba 9/30/2016 Remezcla: "As he teaches Little about life,
we learn that Juan is of Cuban descent – an Afro-Cuban character at the heart of
a film concerned with what it means to a black man.'
Miami shooting: Man shot by cops was lying down with hands up, lawyer says 7/21/2016 CNN: ""I'm
like, 'Sir, why did you shoot me?'" Kinsey said he asked the officer. "He said
to me, 'I don't know.'""
Cop Kills Civilian During Act of Road Rage — Officer Not Arrested, Gets Vacation
Instead 6/20/2016 Free Though Project: "A 22-year-old man was shot dead in
Palm Bay, Florida, by an off-duty Brevard County Sheriff’s deputy in a fit of
uncontrolled road rage late Sunday morning, marking the latest in incidents
involving police coming unhinged and targeting civilians. Deputy Yousef Hafza, a
veteran cop with 11 years in law enforcement, shot Clarence Mahogany X. Howard
in an apparent case of road rage, though details about what took place remain
murky, unnamed investigators told local ABC affiliate, WFTV 9."
Clarence Mahogany X Howard, 22 6/19/2016 EBWiki: "The Florida Department of
Law Enforcement is investigating after an off-duty Brevard County Sheriff's
Office deputy fatally shot a 22-year-old man in an apparent road rage incident
in the area of Emerson Drive and St. John's Heritage Parkway in Palm Bay."
Casi 60 arrestos en el primer día del festival urbano de Miami Beach 5/29/2016 Cibercuba: "No
obstante, la Policía de Miami Beach percibe que hasta el momento esta fiesta
espontánea que se inició el viernes y atrae a miles de personas a las calles de
Miami Beach, en su mayoría afroamericanos, transcurre con normalidad y sin
mayores incidentes."
On Memorial Day Weekend in Miami Beach, Black Tourists Are Second-Class Citizens 5/24/2016 Miami
New Times: "The goal seems to be to rob African-Americans blind, lock up as many
of them as possible, and occasionally use some for police target practice.
(Remember the 2011 killing of Raymond Herisse, in which 12 officers fired more
than a hundred rounds, four others were wounded, and no one was charged?) If
Memorial Day weekend were treated like a convention coming to town, Miami Beach
would get hotels to block off rooms and give visitors discounted rates. The
city, the county, the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, and commercial
airlines would kick in money to help support the event. Government officials
would work with the event promoters to provide comped rooms to celebrity
entertainers and comped ballrooms for panels and events. Meanwhile, in cities
like New Orleans and Toronto, government officials are rolling out the red
carpet for events that cater to a predominantly black clientele."
The McDuffie Riots 5/11/2016 Miami Times: "“If the jury was half Black and
half white would there have been a riot?” Dunn asked the room at HistoryMiami
museum last week. “It was the most difficult thing I have seen in 75 years. It
was worse than the 1926 hurricane. The hurricane damaged property. This damaged
souls.”"
Focus on the harsh realities of black Miami 4/13/2016 Miami Herald: "It is
my hope that a coalition of willing parties is prepared to join us. If you want
to be apprised of the details, I would invite you to review the expected video
of the proceedings on my office’s web page and visit
http://www.stateofblackmiami.org/ for updates."
Focus on the harsh realities of black Miami 4/13/2016 Miami Herald: Comment
by Alberto Jones - "Visit the Latin American School of Medical Sciences in
Havana and the Caribbean School of Medical Sciences in Santiago de Cuba, where
thousands of students from over 100 countries are trained to become physicians,
nurses, technologists etc., For Free!. The main task assigned to the Medical
School in Santiago de Cuba, is to train students from Africa and the Caribbean,
especially from Haiti where hundreds have received their degree, are working in
Haiti and probably in your community and whose goal is to graduate 100
physicians per year for the next 20 years. Does anyone really believe that our
kids in Opa Locka, Miami Gardens, Overtown, Cincinnati, Flint or Chicago are
untrainable and born killers? Mr. Monestime, do not fear historical Cuba haters
in the Local, State and the Federal Government, most of whom are descendent of
former slave-drivers and perpetrators of most of the ills of blacks in Cuba. Be
consequent with your duties, seek help for our youths killing each other and
learn, why in Cuba, no black person, has been gunned down on the streets, in
school, the workplace or in church since 1959."
State of Black Miami Forum delivers solutions for economic challenges 4/7/2016 Bizjournals: "At
a time when South Florida’s economy is growing with new jobs and steadily higher
incomes, a large segment of the black community has not shared in those
benefits."
16-Year-Old Suicidal Teen with Toy Gun Killed by Florida Police 3/23/2016 Atlanta
Black Star: "A Black teen was killed Sunday night in Florida after calling
police to say he was going to commit suicide. It took one hour for police to
show up, and they shot and killed Robert Dentmond in front of his apartment
building. Nine Gainesville Police Department officers and Alachua County
Sheriff’s deputies shot at the 16-year-old in the parking lot, where bullets
flew through the building and affected residents there, according to Fusion."
Remembering Miami Beach's Shameful History of Segregation and Racism 3/10/2016 Miami
New Times: "Miamians like to think of themselves as a separate world from the
Deep South, but the fact is Dade County has its own long and hideous history of
discrimination — particularly in Miami Beach, where wealthy elites could enforce
their biased whims."
Black Miami police officers protest Beyoncé boycott 2/20/2016 ABC: "Do
whatever is necessary" to put a stop to Ortiz's "antics" and "long pattern of
irresponsible behavior," as he continues to portray African-Americans "in a
negative light with thinly veiled racist overtones," Moore said in the letter."
#BlackLivesMatter ignores us, some mothers say 2/2/2016 Miami
Times: "Marvin Dunn, a retired Florida International University psychology
professor, understands that sentiment. He said other Black men cause more
killings of young Black men, even though the police involved shootings trigger
the large-scale protests that capture public attention. “I agree with these
mothers. Far more Black lives are taken by other Blacks than are taken by the
police,” Dunn said. “The tragedies of police shootings of Blacks is indeed a
critical issue, but Black on Black violence is a far more serious problem. “If
we want Black lives to matter to the police, they must matter even more to us.”
Tipping a Hat to H.T. Smith, a Rebel with a Cause, at the Gay8 Festival 1/13/2016 Miami
Herald: "H.T. Smith is no stranger to discrimination. His long career of service
has had him chair the Coalition for a Free South Africa — leading the charge to
convince local governments and universities not to do business with companies
that did business with apartheid South Africa — head a tourism boycott against
Miami after local officials snubbed Nelson Mandela during his historic visit;
champion the amendment that explicitly gives women and people born outside the
U.S. equal legal protection; and co-chair the Miami-Dade Say No to
Discrimination referendum, fighting for equal rights for all people regardless
of their sexual orientation."
A Breakdown of the 71 People Killed by Police in Florida in 2015 1/7/2016 Miami
New Times: "There are some notable findings for Miami-Dade: The county had by
far the most police-involved deaths, with 15 last year. The county with the next
highest number was Jacksonville, with just six. The Miami-Dade Police Department
led the state in deaths, with seven tied to department officers, while the City
of Miami was third, with three."
Black in Time: Neighborhood historic sites on hallowed grounds 1/6/2016 Miami
Herald: "If you wish to learn about local history, explore the community on a
self-guided tour. Begin with the sites below."
Why Angela Davis Came to Miami 12/23/2015 Observer: "That a famous
Communist and vocal supporter of the Cuban Revolution was coming to Miami, a
city not only defined by neoliberal excess, but also ruled by anti-Castro Cuban
exiles, was in itself a spectacle to behold."
The
Ocoee Massacre 11/5/2015 Weekly Challenger: "The siege of Ocoee claimed
numerous African-American victims. Langmaid, an African-American carpenter was
beaten and castrated. One mother, named Maggie Genlack, died with her pregnant
daughter while hiding in her home, their bodies found partially burned under
their home. Roosevelt Barton, an African-American hiding in July Perry’s barn,
was shot after the mob set fire to the barn and forced him to flee. Hattie Smith
was visiting her pregnant sister-in-law in Ocoee when her sister-in-law’s home
was set on fire. Smith fled, but her sister-in-law’s family was killed while
they hid and waited for help that would never come."
South Florida Black-owned media companies team up to address advertisers 10/29/2015 West
Side Gazette: "For the first time, all of the top Black-owned media companies in
South Florida have joined forces to show a united front and to prove to
advertisers that doing business with them is more than worth it. The group
members, nine media organizations, named themselves the Black Owned Media
Alliance (BOMA) and put on their first symposium as a way to educate media
buyers and advertisers. It was the first in a series of planned educational
outreach in an attempt to get the respect shown to even smaller media companies
that are non-Black."
Historic Boycott Miami forced long-overdue changes, proved the power of the
black community 7/16/2015 Miami Herald: "Improvements for the
African-American community directly and indirectly attributable to the boycott
were both numerous and notable: court-ordered single-member districts for better
representation of minorities, the creation of the Visitor Industry Council to
expand African-American participation in the county's tourism industry,
scholarships for black students to attend Florida International University's
hospitality program, an investigation of Haitian protesters' treatment by police
during a rally in July 1990, and the establishment of a black-owned,
convention-quality hotel in the Miami Beach area." [No critical discussion here.
The hotel was sold for 127 MM, how did that benefit the community?]
Overtown
Rising: Gentrification and the Fight to Thrive 7/8/2015 Dream
Defenders: "Enter: Overtown. A neighborhood once home to some of the most
well-to-do black folks and businesses in the country. Today it has vastly
changed from the historic place it once was.[5] Homelessness, drugs, dilapidated
housing, poor schools, and increased crime have taken over with many to blame:
the dirty politicians who only worry about themselves, the federal housing
policies that target vulnerable communities of color, and the local residents
who have been misinformed."
The Counted: the definitive map of US police killings in 2015 6/4/2015 Guardian
Fla. Prosecutors Drop More Than 36 Cases Linked to Racist Cops 4/11/2015 The
Root: "The Broward County State Attorney’s Office has abandoned more than three
dozen criminal cases connected to four former Fort Lauderdale police officers
entangled in a racism scandal."
Post-racial Miami: Black federal judge mistaken for "the Help" by white
political candidate 4/6/2015 Blogging Black Miami: "Surely Bay Harbor
Islands Town Council candidate Ken Eskin wishes he’d never ever uttered the
words “What family do you work for?” when he encountered Marcia Cooke in the
condo parking lot, as she placed items in her car and he distributed campaign
materials. Eskin, who is white, assumed Cooke, who is black, was the help. Cooke
has lived in the area for twenty years and has been a federal judge for 11
years. "
Florida Lynched More Black People Per Capita Than Any Other State, According to
Report 2/11/2015 New Times: ""Many people are under the wrong impression
that the majority of lynchings were black males assaulting white females, but
most were because black men and women were accused of stealing," University of
Florida professor Jack Davis, who has written about Florida lynchings, tells New
Times."
Black Cubans: Restoring US Ties Is Cool, but America, Keep Your Hang-Ups About
Race at Bay 1/21/2015 The Root: "Elia Espuet: Yes—I’m inclined to believe
that as relations with Cuba and the United States go forward, the rich white
Cubans will marginalize the black Cubans on the island. Unfortunately, I don’t
see things becoming better for black Cubans."
Study: White Floridians Are Pretty Racist 12/10/2014 Miami New
Times: "Florida scored a 0.436 (1 would represent totally racist, 0 would be
totally not racist). Granted, that's slightly less racist than the stretch of
deep south state from Louisiana to South Carolina just above us, but its nothing
to be proud of. We're more racist than Texas! "
Anniversary recalls Congo rescue by Miami Cubans 11/15/2014 Miami
Herald: "Fifty years ago, a group of Cuban exiles working for the CIA rescued
American hostages amid fierce firefights in the Congo. Sunday, some of the
surviving warriors and hostages will reunite in Miami."
Univision Fires Host Rodner Figueroa for Comparing Michelle Obama to Planet of
the Apes 11/12/2014 Miami New Times: "Rodner Figueroa, best known for
hosting the entertainment and gossip show Sal y Pimienta, was guesting on
another show, El Gordo y la Flaca, yesterday when he compared First Lady
Michelle's appearance to that of the cast of Planet of the Apes."
Q&A with Eric Knowles, president of the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce 8/10/2014 Miami
Herald: "A new building, a master plan for the county’s urban core, and making
the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce relevant to young black professionals are
among the goals of G. Eric Knowles, who now leads the Miami-Dade Chamber of
Commerce."
Black Miami – The History You Never Learned 3/9/2014 World or Bust: "I
decided to write this post as many people in Miami (or elsewhere) have no idea
how the Magic City came about, especially in regards to its black populations
who were the real catalysts for settlement and growth."
The Decline of Cuban Power in Miami 2/27/2014 Miami New Times: "If you
don't know that, you don't know where you're living." Miami is where it is
today, he added, "because of the Cubans who came here." Those comments prompted
this response from Commissioner Dennis Moss: "That's part of what's wrong with
Miami-Dade County. We're not about fairness. We're about power and money." Moss
also noted, "Black folks built this community. To simply say that, well, Latins
came to this town and all of a sudden this town is what it is — I resent that.
My ancestors were helping build this county while other people were other
places."
MLK Day celebration features history author 1/24/2014 Suncoast News: "The
headliner was Marvin Dunn of Miami, whose book “The Beast in Florida: a History
of Anti-Black Violence” is going for more than $100 on eBay and Amazon. The
book, published in the spring of 2013 by the University Press of Florida, only
had one printing, so copies are hard to come by. Dunn stayed afterward to sign
those brought to the event."
How Miami's Shrewd Black Leadership Turned The Mandela Snub To Local Advantage 12/5/2013 WLRN: ""South
Florida, meanwhile, was getting some hard facts about its tourism industry.
Basically, it was discovering that while black travelers and conventions were a
mainstay of Miami tourism, the industry had few ownership, management or even
employment opportunities for African-Americans. 'We needed something to get
national support. We were looking for something to ignite a movement.' Twenty
percent of the conventions that had come to Miami the year before Mandela
arrived were black, recalls H. T. Smith, a lawyer with deep Miami roots. It was
a market segment worth hundreds of millions of dollars and local blacks couldn't
even get hired as waiters or bartenders, he said."
Afro Cuban
Relations with Florida 11/16/2013 Havana Times: "Can anyone imagine Jazz,
professional baseball, Latin American and Caribbean literature, without Afro
American and Afro Cuban close collaboration?"
Does Miami Beach Need A Reality Check On Racism? 5/29/2013 WLRN,
Miami: "Once you actually broke through traffic surrounding the neighborhood,
the South Beach streets themselves were largely quiet and un-trafficked, due to
all the road closures. Even foot traffic was restricted, as barricades lined all
major avenues. Officers from various departments and private security guards
stood guard on practically every corner, sometimes even outnumbering weekend
revelers. Paddy wagons were parked in highly-visible locations, as police towers
hovered over the mostly uneventful scene below."
Owning
the Revolution: Race, Revolution, and Politics from Havana to Miami, 1959–1963 6/1/2012 eScholarship
The Black Miami: Black Influence in South Florida from the 1800s to the '80s
Riots 5/24/2012 Miami New Times: "That's why the new documentary The Black
Miami has piqued our interest. Based on Dr. Marvin Dunn's book, Black Miami in
the 20th Century, the film describes the history and significance of blacks in
South Florida. Regardless of your background, you're sure to be captivated by
the stories of The Black Miami, many of which you've likely never heard."
The Black Miami: Black Influence in South Florida from the 1800s to the '80s
Riots 5/24/2012 Miami New Times: "Carlton Smith: I met another producer,
Michael Williams, through work, and we had talked about doing side projects
together -- particularly, we wanted to do a documentary. He had been reading
this book, Black Miami in the 20th Century, and he said it would make a really
great documentary. I read the book myself, at which point we decided to take it
on as a documentary project. We called the author of the book, Dr. Dunn, who
lives in Florida and is a retired professor from FIU. We said that if he was on
board, we would definitely do it. He joined us as an interviewee and an
associate producer, which was a win-win."
Déjà Vu 2002 in Florida 2/17/2012 Huffington Post: "Florida's Republican
governor and GOP-led legislature are attempting to retain a stranglehold on
state government and cement their control in Tallahassee for another decade.
Déjà vu 2002. Just like in 2002, the GOP is ignoring the will of the people.
Voters in 2010 overwhelmingly approved the Fair Districts amendments with 63
percent of the vote in a clear demand for a different process -- one free from
incumbent protection and partisan advantage."
Parsing the Memorial Day shooting in South Beach 6/5/2011 Beached
Miami: "They do not report where they found the gun — on the “floorboard behind
driver’s seat,” according to David Smiley, the Herald reporter covering the
story — until Saturday afternoon. The delay here is odd since a lot of people
immediately speculated that the police had fired more than 100 rounds at an
unarmed black man, and this speculation reportedly worried the Head Honcho. In
one of his articles, Smiley said Miami Beach Police Chief Carlos Noriega was
“concerned about the publicity surrounding the shooting” and that he “called the
gun’s discovery ‘great news.’”
Miami's Spate of Cop Shootings of Black Men 3/25/2011 Color Lines: "The
black men were all killed by Latino police officers, the New York Times
reported."
Miami's Continuing Color Problem 12/14/2010 The Root: "There were too many
police shootings of unarmed black men in Miami for my taste, and in the prior
decade, one of the most notorious police shootings had led to violent riots.
There was not a visible black middle-class community, although middle-class
blacks were scattered about, but there were plenty of visibly poor and badly
deteriorated black neighborhoods. African Americans were mostly politically
marginalized and had even less economic power. Cuban Americans -- many of them
fair-skinned "white" conservative Republicans, uninterested in power sharing --
were politically ascendant. (Afro-Cubans and other Afro-Latinos, for the most
part, blended into the African-American community.) Non-Hispanic white residents
were fleeing Dade County and heading to whiter suburbs in northern counties."
Miami Shootings Stoke Racial Tensions 8/30/2010 NPR Jacksonville FL: "Since
July, the city of Miami has experienced four fatal police shootings of
African-American men. While law enforcement has defended the shootings,
community activists question what they say is the excessive use of lethal force.
Miami Police Chief Miguel Exposito says the four incidents, while unfortunate,
do not represent an significant uptick in police shootings."
Dengue
Fever Outbreak Leads Back to CIA & Army Experiments 7/17/2010 Voltaire
Net: "As early as the 1950s, the army’s Fort Detrick in partnership with the CIA
launched a multi-million dollar research program under which dengue fever and
several addition exotic diseases were studied for use in offensive biological
warfare attacks. Indeed, as several CIA documents, as well as the findings of a
1975 Congressional committee reveal that 3 sites in Florida, Key West, Panama
City, and Avon Park, as well as 2 other locations in central Florida, were used
for experiments with mosquito borne dengue fever and other biological
substances. The experiments in Avon Park, about 170 miles from Miami, were
covertly conducted in a low-income African American neighborhood that contained
several newly constructed public housing projects. CIA documents related to
Project MK/NAOMI clearly indicate that the mosquitoes used in Avon Park were the
Aedes aegypti type. Interestingly, at the same time experiments were conducted
in Florida there were at least two cases of dengue fever reported among civilian
researchers at Fort Detrick in Maryland. Avon Park residents still living in the
area say that the experiments resulted in “at least 6 or 7 deaths"."
Inner-City Garden Plants New Hope in Miami Neighborhood 3/9/2010 VOA: "As a
university professor in Miami, Florida, Marvin Dunn launched an inner-city
garden to give his students an outlet for volunteer activity. Now his vision has
grown into a year-round urban farm that produces scores of vegetables and
fruits. Marvin Dunn grew up in Overtown, a historical black neighborhood in
Miami. He knows it once saw brighter days. "Overtown was a popular, healthy,
wonderful place to live," said Marvin Dunn. "There was no unemployment here. And
then over the years the community declined."
Only in Miami: Omara Portuondo Compared to the Ku Klux Klan 2/13/2010 Cuba
Now: 'It seems that Mr. Prieres’ “school of thinking” does not admit that a
Cuban figure as Omara Portuondo can freely sing in the United States. I guess
that Mr. Prieres’ “environment” excludes the over 11 million Cubans living on
the island. It seems to be an institution of poor education and thinking.
According to Miami New Times magazine, the organization Vigilia Mambisa declared
that Omara “is accomplice of the regime,” and anti-Cuban activist Emilio
Izquierdo Jr. made this incredible comparison: “Brinign Omara Portuondo to Miami
is like taking the Ku Klux Klan to Liberty City”. Perhaps Izquierdo does not
know, or means nothing for him, but the Ku Klux Klan is a racist, terrorist
organization founded in the US to kill, torture, or intimidate black, Jewish or
other groups, including Catholics, peace activists, and unionists. Omara
Portuondo is a Cuban woman of mixed race with unique voice and international
prestige resulting from her huge talent. Comparing her to the Ku Klux Klan is
like comparing Luis Posada Carriles to Bola de Nieve."
Apartheid protesters got it right 9/20/2009 Miami Herald: [Another fine
example of the Miami Mafia debasing imagery from the Black struggle.]
Invoking MLK and Rosa Parks in Cuban Exile Politics 5/30/2009 AfroCubaWeb: "The
Miami Mafia has supported Antúnez' struggle, as have Ibero Spanish politicians
in countries such as Uruguay, Costa Rica, and Argentina, as well as the Pope,
who asked for his release when he was incarcerated. Antúnez has been adopted by
the Miami based Directorio Democrático Cubano (DDC), which is supported by USAID
and NED - they provided 89% of its budget in 2002. The 3 leaders of the
Directorio are Javier de Céspedes, Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, and his wife
Janisset Rivero Gutiérrez, who according to the Cuban press are veterans of
numerous terrorist and far right campaigns against Cuba. Gutiérrez was a leader
of the terrorist/freedom fighter group Organización para la Liberación de Cuba
and a supporter of the death squad related ARENA in El Salvador."
Black Vs. White - Miami Remains The Same 5/27/2009 Miami New Times: "As
much as I hate it when politicians play the race card when they are facing
possible criminal charges, I can't just dismiss it either in the case of
Spence-Jones. After all, Sarnoff is the city's only Anglo commissioner and
Arriola is one of the most prominent Anglo Cuban Americans in Miami. Together
they initiated a criminal probe into the city's only black, and only female,
commissioner."
End of the Diaz-Balart Dynasty 10/23/2008 Miami New Times: "The conduct of
Raul Martinez. After years of embarrassing our community through corruption and
scandal, using public office to become a millionaire, convictions for bribery
and extortion, Martinez is featured in the investigative documentary Cocaine
Cowboys, about drug trafficking in South Florida. Now Raul Martinez wants to
take his corruption to Washington. We have to stop corruption. Say no to Raul
Martinez."
Diaz-Balart Meets with Colombian Defense Minister, Urges Free Trade Agreemen 7/23/2008 Mario
Diaz Balart: "“The United States Congress must stand in solidarity with
President Alvaro Uribe and his democratically elected government,” said
Diaz-Balart."
Police arrests Miami students for peaceful protest 3/7/2008 Party for
Socialism and Liberation: "Miami Edison High School is 90 percent Black—a high
percentage of students are Haitian and Haitian-American—and 9 percent Latino.
Sixty percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, attesting
to the student body’s primarily working class background."
Miami students protest police invasion of their school 3/5/2008 SF Bay
View: "Monday morning 300 students boycotted attending Miami's Edison Senior
High, the first school day after police brutally beat and arrested masses of
students on Friday. The mostly Black and largely Haitian-American youth are
organizing to demand the arrest of Assistant Principal Perez for assault on a
student, the dropping of all charges against the students arrested Friday, no
retaliation against students and the institution of restorative justice as a
problem solving model, instead of arresting more young people in the future.
This level of organizing is unprecedented and deserves community support."
Students Protest and Police Riot- Edison Sr. High School 2/29/2008 Take
Back the Land: "The mostly black and largely Haitian-American Miami Edison
students organized a protest this morning at the school courtyard. According to
all accounts, the protest was peaceful, possibly including civil disobedience
(Miami Herald: "The incident apparently began as a peaceful protest, according
to a teacher inside the school, but got out of hand." CBS4: "The student said
police were called to the school to respond to the protest, and when students
objected a scuffle broke out, escalating quickly into an all out fight between
students and officers."). Police were called in to break up the protest and when
the students refused- exercising their right to protest- school and city of
Miami police attacked them and the students defended themselves against attacks
by police."
Miami
Protesters Say: Jail Killer Cops!” 12/1/2007 Socialist Action: "Rage over
the deaths of four unarmed Black men by Miami cops over a 19-day period has
sparked angry protests against police brutality. The rash of deaths began on
Oct. 25 when a young Haitian man, Gracia "BG" Beaugris, was shot three times
while walking home with his father's laundry. While Miami officials promise an
investigation, the state attorney's office has not convicted a single cop
involved in the death of an African American in 20 years, despite many such
cases. No indictments in the recent deaths have been filed."
The Arthur McDuffie Riots of 1980 8/12/2007 Miami Beach 411: "The Miami
race riots (also known as the Arthur McDuffie Riots) of May 1980 were the first
major race riots after the end of the civil rights movement. The Miami Black
community, long abused and neglected by civic leaders who, among other things,
placed I-95 straight through the cultural center of their neighborhoods, was
getting angrier by the day. Recently arrived Latin and Haitian immigrants were
taking jobs and social benefits that had traditionally belonged to Blacks. Cuban
refugees wielding money and power were beginning to take control of the city,
and as such were awarding minority contracts and jobs to Cubans instead of
African-Americans. This, combined with the continuous poverty and degradation of
their neighborhoods, had Miami’s Black community ready to snap."
Exiled Cuban Pilots Remember the Congo War 7/29/2007 NBC: "More than one
hundred pilots did tours with the secret air force. Most were recruited in
Miami, and despite being bitter about the defeat at the Bay of Pigs, the CIA was
able to find plenty of exile pilots willing to take another shot at Fidel
Castro. This time they won."
Miami’s Royal Palm Sells For $127.5m 2/1/2005 Black Enterprise: "The Royal
Palm Crowne Plaza Resort, a black-owned luxury Miami hotel, is changing hands
now that developer R. Donahue Peebles has agreed to sell it to The Falor Co. for
$127.5 million. Peebles stands to make a hefty profit, as he reportedly spent
$84 million to acquire the 417-room, oceanfront resort, which opened in 2002.
His company, Peebles Atlantic Development Corp. (No. 42 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/
SERVICE 100 list with $82 million in sales), was named the BLACK ENTERPRISE
Company of the Year in 2004. Peebles’ acquisition of the Royal Palm was a
high-profile venture because its sale to an African American developer was a
concession by Miami Beach to end a three-year tourism boycott." [Sold to a white
developer.]
Questions over felon `purge list' threaten Florida governor 7/4/2004 Knight
Ridder: "As thousands of Floridians learn that a state list could wrongly bar
them from voting, Democrats have found a rallying point for the November
elections and proof, they say, of long-held suspicions that Gov. Jeb Bush's
elections machinery is rigged against them. More than 2,100 people, many of them
black Democrats, remain on the list of potentially ineligible ex-con voters
despite winning clemency - and the right to vote - after their crimes, The Miami
Herald reported Friday. Democrats and activists call it a "purge list" - a
phrase that deeply irks the governor."
Miami Mayor to Apologize for 'Mandela Moment' 7/12/2003 Fox
News: "Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas (search) said Monday he would make an
official apology to former South African president Nelson Mandela (search) next
week. "If Mandela were in Miami today, I think he would receive an official
welcome." Penelas said. Thirteen years ago, that was not the case. In June 1990,
Miami's politically powerful Cuban exile community protested a visit by Mandela,
newly released from a South African prison, for his praise of Fidel Castro
(search), arch-enemy of Cuban exiles but friend of the anti-apartheid movement.
Despite pleas by local African-American leaders, the cities of Miami and Miami
Beach, along with Miami-Dade Country, refused to recognize Mandela when he
visited the area for a labor conference. The Miami City Commission rescinded a
proclamation honoring Mandela. Tourists angry at the Mandela snub launched a
boycott that cost the city $25 million in lost revenue. Business leaders helped
end the boycott in 1993, but tensions continued in the 1990s between blacks and
Cubans after several incidents where Miami police roughed up Haitians."
Trial to begin for 11 Miami officers 1/6/2003 Boston Globe: "Based on
information from two retired officers who pleaded guilty to conspiracy in
September 2001, 11 other officers were indicted on federal corruption charges
alleging coverups in four police shootings in which three men were killed… ''The
history of Miami has been characterized by ugly police-community relations,''
said Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of
Florida. ''There is a loss of confidence, if not outright hostility, by the
minority community because of the great number of shootings of typically unarmed
black young men.'' …The four Miami shootings involved the killings of three
black men. A fourth man was wounded, and another man involved in the shooting
was not harmed."
Miami Beach: Black-owned hotel ends boycott, begins hope 5/18/2002 Houston
Chronicle: "The former Washington resident, who built his business developing
commercial office space, swooped into Miami Beach in 1996, bought a dilapidated
hotel and won a municipal bid to build another in an adjacent oceanfront lot.
The venture was at the center of a settlement between activists, city officials
and lodging executives ending a three-year black tourism boycott of South
Florida. It cast Peebles as the nation's first African-American to develop and
own a major convention-resort hotel… The hotel will be able to draw a good chunk
of the black tourism market, worth $36 billion last year, according to industry
watchers. It is sold out for Memorial Day weekend, booked the Black Film
Festival in June and an NAACP conference next year, marketing director Velton
Showell said."
Afro-Cuban Delegation Meets With Congressional Black Caucus 8/1/2001 CNS
News: "A delegation of Afro-Cubans, four from the Miami area and two from the
Washington, D.C. area, spent Tuesday on Capitol Hill meeting with members of the
Congressional Black Caucus, hoping to convince them that Fidel Castro is bad for
Cuba and should improve his human rights record there. Omar Lopez Montenegro of
the Cuban Civic National Union was among the delegation. He was told by the
Castro government to leave Cuba several years ago and has lived in the United
States ever since."
Black and Cuban-American: Bias in 2 Worlds 9/13/1997 NYT: "And they remain
virtually invisible in the Miami power structure -- there are no black
Cuban-American elected officials, no leaders of a major exile group and no major
academic studies documenting their migration -- even though they are more
representative of an island where half or more of the population is now
estimated to be black and mulatto."
Black, Cuban Racial Chasm Splits Miami 3/23/1997 LA Times: "We are very
much on edge here, and it's getting worse because of the constant elimination of
African Americans from jobs and political offices," warned Nathaniel J. Wilcox,
executive director of a civil rights group called People United to Lead the
Struggle for Equality, or PULSE. "They are becoming the oppressor."
Miami Police Officer Is Acquitted In Racially Charged Slaying Case 5/29/1993 NYT: "In
a decision met with anger and dismay among blacks in Miami, a Hispanic police
officer who was convicted there in 1989 on two counts of manslaughter in the
shooting deaths of two young black men was acquitted today in a second trial on
the same charges. William Lozano, the 33-year-old, Colombian-born police officer
who has been the focal point of the most racially charged case in Florida in the
last decade, threw his arms up in joy and embraced his lawyers when the verdict
was announced late this afternoon. But relatives of the men he killed broke into
tears and left the courtroom of Judge W. Thomas Spencer, saying they were at a
loss to explain the decision of the six-member jury."
Miami Journal; Boycott Over Visit Of Mandela Lives On 7/13/1991 NYT: "The
City Commission rescinded a proclamation welcoming Mr. Mandela, and Mayor Xavier
Suarez and four other mayors from the region openly criticized Mr. Mandela for
not denouncing human rights violations in Cuba. Miami's blacks, who make up
about 21 percent of the city's 359,000 residents, took that as a snub of royal
proportions, an insult added to decades of economic, social and political
injury. In response, on July 17, 1990, a small group of the city's black leaders
began an economic boycott against the tourism industry, arguably the region's
most important business. Now almost a year old, the boycott continues, and
organizers recently declared their intention to turn up the heat a bit by
sending out videotaped messages highly critical of Miami to organizations around
the country likely to hold conventions or refer people to the area. The videos
will urge them to keep their convention and vacation business away. Giant cruise
ships still glide silently through Biscayne Bay and rental cars still seem to
take up more than two-thirds of every parking lot, but the boycott has taken its
toll. A spokesman for the boycott group, H. T. Smith, a lawyer, estimated that
the campaign has cost the area $27 million in convention business. Officials
from the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau estimate that of more than
$200 million in convention business annually, about 19 conventions or meetings
worth about $8 million have been canceled." [The real number was likely far
higher.]
Miami Racial Tensions Fester 12/31/1982 WaPo: ""Leave these Latins get out
of here, right now," shouted a local black leader, the Rev. Jonathan Rolle, in a
television interview Wednesday night. "The Latin police, they just ride around
in their cars, and they never get out," he said today in a telephone
conversation. ". . . . The Latins are the ones who are killing the blacks."
Archie Hardwick of the James E. Scott Community Association charged that the
federal government, in its eagerness to help emigrants from Fidel Castro's Cuba,
funneled money and energy into resettlement efforts that shortchanged other,
black-oriented programs then getting under way in the Great Society years."
[AfroCubaWeb] [Site Map] [Music] [Arts] [Authors] [News] [Search this site]