A video was posted to YouTube two days ago showing a white male customer hurling profanity and racial slurs at a young Black female employee of Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins at 341 W 41 Street (Arthur Godfrey Road and Sheridan Avenue) on Miami Beach, Florida. The video was posted by Veronica Timpanaro.

Apparently, the male customer was upset that he was not served as soon as he entered the store. The lone employee was serving a female customer and a young child but that did not matter to him. It was bad enough that he exhibited such disgusting behavior, but he also did it in the presence of a young child.

When he couldn't have his way after dropping f-bombs, he proceeded to drop n-bombs at the employee, threatened her and even called her a coon. He's a really classy guy. There's a very clear picture of his face and him throwing up his middle finger. Prayerfully, social media will work its magic and identify him. Then, the Miami Beach Police need to arrest him for disorderly conduct, ethnic intimidation and other charges. 

Racist, hateful behavior cannot become the new normal for America! 

@vanessawbyers

The men of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity will be hosting voter mobilization and education events across Florida on Saturday, October 27. The Miami Alumni Chapter’s event will be held at Miami Dade College North Campus, 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Come out and learn more about the ballot, cast your vote and fellowship with the brothers of the frat so nice they had to name it twice. Don’t miss the free food, entertainment, games and much more. For more info, visit #ItsAKappaPartyFL on Facebook! 

@vanessawbyers
 

MIAMI, FL - A South Florida photographer known for documenting Florida’s historically black neighborhoods is bringing her work back to the people she photographed  with a mobile photography installation.  Johanne Rahaman, creator of BlackFlorida, will unveil her latest exhibit, ‘From the South to the Southernmost- Liberty City to Little Haiti’ on a visible mobile LED screen truck that will tour these neighborhoods on Saturday, October 13, from 4:00pm to 9:00pm. Inspired by the relationships and familiarity to the people and the areas, Rahaman chooses to bring the exhibit to the streets instead of showing at an art gallery which can be considered to be “white spaces” and too “exclusive” for many.  This show is one of several more similar shows to follow in different neighborhoods.

The exhibition will feature images of community events Rahaman documented between 2015 and 2016 such as: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parades in Liberty City and the monthly ‘Big Night in Little Haiti’ community festival along with the popular Rara processions.  The mobile show will also incorporate a musical score using music Rahaman curated while photographing inside the homes, churches, businesses and streets.  “While the visual show engages, the music will entertain and drive the pace of the exhibit”, says Rahaman. “I prefer to collaborate with a DJ from the communities that I'm featuring, who will curate a playlist that compliments the story of that community.”  ‘From the South to the Southernmost’ will begin at NW 7th Avenue and NW 79th Street, criss-crossing the streets and avenues to 54th Street, then across 54 Street to Little Haiti. 

‘BlackFlorida’ is a photographic archive showcasing the nuances of rural towns and inner cities throughout Florida.  BlackFlorida is also one of 43 projects awarded The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Knight Arts Challenge 2017.

Get informed. Get election ready. Get involved. 

Florida’s historic upcoming General Election will bring with it a voluminous ballot with candidate races, an unprecedented number of constitutional amendments with some amendments including multiple bundled issues; a school board referendum; County charter questions as well as questions regarding various municipalities and communities. This evening’s Chill, Chat & Chew Part 2: General Election Edition will help you get Election Ready and give you the tools to educate your family, friends and neighbors.

We are excited by the participation of several local candidates: State Rep. Dist. 108 - Dotie Joseph and Riquet Caballero; Mayor, City of Opa-locka - Dottie Johnson; Circuit Court Judge - Vivianne del Rio and Renee Gordon; City of Miami Gardens Council Seat 2 - Reggie Leon and Seat 4 - Katrina Wilson-Davis.

We are also pleased to announce our conversation leaders: Teo Noboa from Miami-Dade County Elections Department; Christopher Norwood of Norwood Consulting Group; Jessica Garafola, Legislative Aide to State Rep. Shevrin Jones; and Antonio "Tony" White, 1st Vice President - United Teachers of Dade (UTD). They will share their expertise by covering a number of important topics to make sure everyone who attends is an informed voter.

You can ask questions about the voting process, get information so you can stop skipping the ballot questions about retention of judges, discuss those confusing and controversial constitutional amendments; the school board referendum to help give our teachers a raise and much, much, more.

As a reminder, this event is not a debate. It is designed to be conversational and informative. You are encouraged to bring your sample ballot.

You already know that the food is great at Lil Greenhouse Grill. (Thank you Nicole Gates and Chef Karim Bryant for the complimentary hors d’oeuvres.) Come out to get informed, network with old and new friends, and ask questions of your candidates.

Scenes from Chill, Chat & Chew with the Candidates (Part 1) August 1, 2018

@vanessawbyers 

Today is the last day to register to vote or change your voter information (address, Party affiliation, etc.) in the November 2018 General Election. If you are eligible to vote, you can submit an application in person or online as long as you know your Social Security number and have a valid Florida driver's license or ID card.

Register online:

The least stressful way to register is online. You can use a computer, a mobile phone, or any device with internet access. Go to registertovoteflorida.gov. The deadline is 11:59 p.m. today. Please don’t wait until that time to start the process.

Register in person:

If you are more comfortable registering to vote in person, there are several locations you can visit today. Please call to confirm their voter registration hours.

• Supervisor of Elections office
• Department of Motor Vehicles Driver's License Offices
• Miami-Dade County Public Libraries
• Most city, town and village halls
• Any State public assistance agency
• Any agencies that provide assistance to disabled persons
• Armed Forces recruiting offices
• Miami Dade College

Make sure everyone in your family who is eligible to vote actually registers AND votes. Surely you’ve heard several times that your vote is your voice. You’ve also likely heard how important these midterm elections are to our state and our nation. It’s all true. Stay tuned for more information.

David Banner and Jasmen Rogers to Keynote while Jawan Strader Hosts ‘Cocktails & Conversations’ Kickoff

MIAMI – The 6th Annual South Florida Youth Summit (SFYS), presented by L.E.A.D Nation in partnership with the Knight Foundation, will take place October 18-20 under the theme “Youth and Justice.” Grammy award-winning music producer, recording artist, philanthropist, speaker, actor and activist David Banner will serve as the keynote speaker for the adult-only kick-off event, Cocktails & Conversations. He will be joined by Jasmen Rogers-Shaw, Political Strategist, and Emmy award-winning journalist, NBC 6 anchor and host of Black Voices Jawan Strader will serve as the night’s host.

The Summit is the brainchild of State Representative and L.E.A.D. Nation co-founder Shevrin Jones. It is designed to provide knowledge-based enrichment activities in an interactive setting to empower youth to live up to their full potential.

"We are excited about the 6th Annual South Florida Youth Summit. Looking at the direction of our nation and our communities, the time is now that we not only encourage our youth, but we empower them – empower them to do more and greater than they can imagine, to be the change they want to see and be,” Jones said.

The Summit targets students in grades 6-12 and provides experiential learning in 6 focus areas:

• STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
• Leadership Development
• Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Financial Education
• Youth Violence Prevention
• Childhood Obesit
  

The weekend of activities will begin with Cocktails & Conversations featuring Banner and Rogers-Shaw on Thursday, October 18 at 7 p.m. at the Miramar Multi-Service Complex, 6700 Miramar Pkwy in Miramar. The Leaders In Training (LIT) Youth Rally is scheduled for Friday, October 19, 9 a.m. until noon at Broward College’s South Campus, 7200 Pines Boulevard in Pembroke Pines. The goal of LITis to groom high school students to be effective advocates for issues they believe in. The finale will be the Youth Summit on Saturday, October 20, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.  at Miami Dade College North Campus. Students will participate in a full-day of seminars, workshops and panel discussions designed to teach them strategies in creating positive and innovative social change in their communities.

For more information about the Summit and LEAD Nation, visit www.leadnation.org.