Just a two-hour plane ride from Miami…

It's hard to believe that there are children that go through life without a single tender touch. Or that cowhide whips are bought on street corners so that they can be used on children who don't complete the chores most adults don't want to shoulder.

Yet this is the real life of a restavek child. And there are more than 300,000 of them living in Haiti today.

Restavek is a Creole term which literally means "stay with." An accurate term in that these children do stay with their hosts, working as domestic servants in exchange for a roof over their head, some leftover food and, supposedly, the ability to go to school. In practice, though, the restaveks are easy prey for exploitation. Many are beaten, sexually abused and frequently denied access to education, since many host families believe that schooling will only make them less obedient.

The Restavek Foundation exists to bring an end to child slavery in Haiti. We're here because we believe that a broken system can be fixed. We believe that education and love will replace the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse that comes from ignorance. And we believe that if we give these children a voice, we can give them hope for a better future.

You may have seen the CNN segment on Jean-Robert  Cadet and his foundation designed to help children in domestic servitude in Haiti. It was heartbreaking but the reality for far too many children on the island.

Friday, October 9, 2009 - 8 PM

Miami Compendium: African Influenced Idioms in Contemporary Art: Diaspora, Dialogue, Directions

Saturday, September 12
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Selected panel will discuss the emerging local and global influence of artist, collectors, museums, galleries, and patrons who market African American, Caribbean and Latin American art influenced by African idioms, form, and aesthetics.

Part 1 of a series of Talks
Presented by S.E.E. Projects and collaborators

RSVP contact [email protected]

786-344-3268  

4141 NE 2nd Avenue suite 106A
Miami Design District

RATTLER MEETUP, Fri., 9/11, 5 PM, LEGENDS Lounge, El Palacio, NW 214th St & 27th Ave, Miami Gardens, 2 for 1 Drinks 5 - 7

Jason Taylor

MIAMI GARDENS, FL  – Superstar Miami Dolphins linebacker Jason Taylor will serve as this year’s special guest and honoree during “Keeping the Promise,” Florida Memorial University’s 130th Anniversary Gala. The lavish dinner fundraiser will be held on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 7:00 pm at the famed Fontainebleau Miami Beach Resort. The fundraiser is the third annual installment of the University President’s mission to garner support from corporations, churches, organizations, and the community in raising funds to provide higher education to students from all walks of life.

Taylor, who recently gained notoriety as a celebrity finalist on “Dancing with the Stars,” will receive the University’s 2009 Community Leadership Award for his commitment to service and promoting education through the Jason Taylor Foundation. “We are pleased to host a guest of Jason Taylor’s caliber for such an historic event for the University” stated Sandra T. Thompson, Ph.D., Interim President of the institution. “We hope to form a long-lasting partnership with Mr. Taylor and his foundation to provide educational opportunities for all prospective students,” she continued.

After Taylor receives his award, executives from Denny’s, Inc. will be on hand to accept the 2009 Corporate Partner Award for opening the Denny’s Single-Parent Student Resource Center on the Florida Memorial campus in October 2008. As a Founding Sponsor for the affair, Denny’s, Inc. will also present a vocal performance from BET’s “Sunday Best” gospel music competition winner Y’Anna Crawley, an accomplished single mother who strives for excellence and personal achievement through her musical talents.

In honor of the University’s 130 years in existence, individual tickets for the gala will be sold for $130.00. Proceeds will benefit the Florida Memorial University Student Scholarship Fund. For more information regarding the event, please call Joan Redd at (305) 626-3607.

About Florida Memorial University:

Located in the City of Miami Gardens, Florida Memorial University is a private, historically Black institution offering 41 undergraduate degree programs and 4 graduate degree programs to a culturally diverse student body. Since its inception in 1879, the University has upheld a commitment to providing a solid foundation for thousands of young people and opening doors to educational opportunities that may have otherwise been closed to them. As South Florida’s only Historically Black College or University (HBCU), it is widely recognized for being the birthplace of the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” and the home of Barrington Irving, Jr., the first and youngest pilot of African descent to fly solo around the world. For more information, please contact the Office of Public Affairs at (305) 626-3624 or visit www.fmuniv.edu.

2009 Miami Book Fair International Nov. 8 - 15.

MIAMI, Aug. 27, 2009 – The official poster and program of authors and activities for the 26th edition of the nation’s finest and largest literary gathering, Miami Book Fair International (Fair), presented by the Florida Center for the Literary Arts at Miami Dade College (MDC), will be unveiled at a reception Wed., Sept. 16, 2009, at ECCO Pizzateca and Lounge in downtown Miami. The unveiling is “invitation only,” but open to the working media. The Fair will take place Nov. 8-15, at the college’s Wolfson Campus, 300 NE 2nd Ave., in downtown Miami.

HIGHLIGHTS

The Fair will again treat book lovers to more than a week of cultural and educational activities, including author readings, book signings, the beloved Evenings with series, the IberoAmerican Authors program, the popular Street Fair Nov. 13 – 15 on the actual closed streets of downtown Miami surrounding the campus, Children’s Alley, and much more.

SOME CHANGES

Several past components of the Fair have been scaled back or postponed due to the challenging economic times and state budget cuts the college is facing. The Fair will be more

It is totally unbelievable that Jordan Grove Missionary Baptist Church was burglarized after armed robbery just days earlier.

 This time, thieves broke into the church office and stole a desktop computer, fax machine and peripherals. Obviously, there’s a dangerous new breed of thief that has no regard for a place of worship. This is a new low. Eventually someone just has to turn these criminals in.

A special prayer service is scheduled for this Friday at 7 pm. The church holds 800 people; let’s show up and fill the seats to show support for Pastor Douglas Cook and the Jordan Grove Family. Most important, let’s show the criminals that we will not live in fear and we will not allow them to continue to tarnish the name and reputation of the good and decent people of Liberty City.

 by Lisa Rogers-Cherry

I recently heard a friend say that we are blessed with more than enough.  Although America is currently in a recession, almost everyone has more than enough of something that can be shared.  How many pair of shoes, pants, or socks do you own?  If you have more than ten pair of any of these items, I'd say that you have more than enough.  Take a quick look around your home, office, garage, closets, or kitchen and take notice of what you have more than enough of.  Now, think of two people or organizations that can be helped by your donation.  Let's all pay it forward without spending a dime.  So many people are hurting and in desperate need of our assistance. 

Lisa Rogers-Cherry is the author of Lifting the Burdens of Debt:  A Helpful Guide to Getting Your Debts Paid and Your Life Back on Track (2005; $14.95).  If you have a question or would like more information about the book go to www.redpenpress.com, e-mail her at [email protected], or write Lisa Rogers-Cherry, Red Pen Press, P.O. Box 1196 , Dania Beach , FL 33004.