New members of MDEAT Board of Trustees with Vice Chair. From left, Kametra Driver; Danny Felton, Sr.; Raymond Fundora; Steven Henriquez; X, Vice Chair Hannibal Burton; Kimberly T. Henderson; Andrea Forde; Patricia Jennings Braynon; and Rashad Thomas. Not Pictured: Basil A. Binns II and Christopher Norwood.

Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust (MDEAT), a county agency charged with ensuring that Black residents participate in Miami-Dade County's economic growth, recently welcomed ten new trustees to its Board. An agency of Miami-Dade County government, MDEAT is governed by a board of trustees appointed by the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners.

"I am feeling very positive about the future of the Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust. We have gained tremendous momentum over that past year," said Hannibal Burton, vice chair of the MDEAT Board of Trustees. "I am extremely excited to accelerate that momentum and dig into areas we have only been able to talk about at this point. We are expanding the agency and transmitting a higher quality of service for our community."

"Since assuming the position as executive director, I've been committed to finding the best talent and resources to help stimulate the economic revitalization our community deserves," said MDEAT Executive Director William "Bill" Diggs. "I look forward to working with our new trustees and leveraging their resources and expertise to elevate Black participation in Miami-Dade County's economic growth."

Board membership is based on the availability of positions and expertise in one of the agency's core service areas of economic development; housing advocacy; youth services; and research and policy. Ten candidates rose to the top of the field. Each appointment is for a three-year term.

The Board welcomes Basil A. Binns II, Patricia Jennings Braynon, Kametra Driver, Danny Felton, Sr., Andrea Forde, Raymond Fundora, Kimberly T. Henderson, Steven Henriquez, Christopher Norwood, and Rashad D. Thomas. They join current trustees Erbi Blanco-True, Hannibal Burton, and Julio Piti.

"As a Miami native, I am excited about the opportunity to serve and impact Miami-Dade County. I appreciate the great work MDEAT is doing to create more Black homeowners and entrepreneurs," Rashad D. Thomas, MDEAT Board Member and Regional Director, AT&T.

The MDEAT Board meets monthly and leverages three action committees: Economic Development Action Committee, Housing Advocacy Committee, and Youth Action Committee. Meetings are open to the public and posted online.

“We have similar goals around expanding equity of outcome around Black homeownership and business ownership," Kimberly T. Henderson, president and CEO of Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida. "Those things are key to transforming our community and reducing the wealth divide between Blacks and other groups."

Amid the region's housing affordability crisis, several of MDEAT's board members are positioned to give the agency a competitive advantage to create effective advocacy and solutions for Miami-Dade County's most vulnerable residents.

"I am happy to serve and help our community receive its fair share of affordable housing opportunities," said Patricia Braynon, MDEAT trustee and retired director of the Housing Finance Authority of Miami-Dade County.

Following the riots that erupted in 1980 after white officers were acquitted for the death of Black businessman and former Marine Arthur McDuffie, the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County collaborated to create Metro-Miami Action Plan (MMAP) in 1983 as a solution to socioeconomic disparities in employment, economic development, education, housing, health and human services and criminal justice. In 1992, MMAP was further empowered by becoming a trust, and in September 2009 it was reorganized into MDEAT by ordinance 09-70.

Since its inception, MDEAT’s focus has been on addressing socioeconomic disparities within the Black community. MDEAT does so by focusing on the individual (i.e., youth and individual family member support), building neighborhoods through the expansion of homeownership, and supporting the foundation of strong Black businesses and economic development via job creation, entrepreneurship, business retention, and expansion. These three gears - family, neighborhood, and business - work together to connect the Black community to resources, funding, and programming that together create whole communities.

Log on to www.miamidade.gov/EconomicAdvocacyTrust, re for more information on MDEAT and critical community statistics and data.

Related Links:

Murdered: Arthur McDuffie and the 1980 Miami Riots
A Few Bad Apples

McDuffie: The Case Behind Miami’s Riots

Thirty-Year Retrospective: The Status of the Black Community in Miami-Dade County 

2013 Karen Moore Islands of Poverty in a Sea of Wealth

Kyra Harris Bolden will make history as the first Black woman to serve on the Michigan Supreme Court.

Michigan State Representative Kyra Harris Bolden will be appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court in January 2023 by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, making history as the first Black woman to serve on the high court. Bolden, an experienced attorney, and bipartisan lawmaker, connected with constituents across the state during her campaign for Michigan Supreme Court earlier this year.

"I am honored to have been selected by Governor Whitmer to serve the wonderful state of Michigan and ensure greater trust and justice for generations,” said Bolden. “This is an important time for Michiganders, and I am grateful for the continued support to bring a fresh perspective to our highest court. This is a court that will ultimately have the final word on many items that will affect not only our lives, but our children’s, and their children’s lives for generations to come. I’m excited and ready to get to work!”

Bolden received her bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and went on to attend the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. After receiving her Juris Doctorate, Rep. Bolden became a civil litigation attorney. She is an active member of her community, serving as a member of the National Congress of Black Women-Oakland County, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and as a commissioner of the Total Living Commission for the city of Southfield.

Rep. Bolden will replace Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack, who announced her departure from the court in September.

Collaboration Hopes to Raise Awareness and Critical Funds to Eradicate Cancer

BALTIMORE, MD – The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation have partnered to raise awareness and critical funds for human trials for a new treatment to eradicate cancer for the 9 million people who die each year.

During Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.’s 95^th General Convention in 2019, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to partner with the Ora Lee Smith Cancer Foundation, a Black tech-based cancer charity. Recently, Dr. Willis L. Lonzer, III, General President, executed and signed an MOU solidifying the new partnership.

“Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is committed to supporting the efforts of the Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation,” said General President Dr. Willis L. Lonzer, III. “Everyone has a loved one, or knows someone, fighting this disease. We strongly believe that the Foundation’s research offers a promising opportunity to revolutionize the way cancer is treated, save lives, and improve the health outcomes for millions of cancer patients worldwide.”

Ora Lee Smith Founder, Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green, an internationally-recognized cancer researcher and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., has developed a new, revolutionary treatment using Laser-Activated Nano-Therapy (LANT) technology – specifically designed to destroy cancer cells while leaving healthy cells intact.

“I thank the General President, the Board of Directors, and the members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., for joining our efforts,” said Dr. Green, who established the foundation to ensure her treatment is accessible and affordable “It takes a lot of courage to be the first and take action on a vision to go beyond hope. This is a testament to their leadership and commitment to our families, our community, and our future.”

To date, Dr. Green’s research with LANT technology has been proven to eliminate tumors in mice in just 15 days after one 10-minute treatment without any observable side effects and maintains the patient’s dignity. LANT, which is also a multi-cancer platform therapy, has implications for a variety of solid tumor types, including breast, colorectal, ovarian, skin, brain, anal, and prostate cancers.

Within the African American community, an estimated 224,080 new cancer cases and 73,680 cancer deaths were expected to occur in 2022.

Under the partnership, the Fraternity is planning a variety of activities to support the foundation, including:

• November 28, 2022 - Partnership Launch Webinar at 7 PM EST - Streamed live on FB, YouTube, and Brotherhood Portal
• November 29, 2022 - Giving Tuesday through December 6, 2022,
• December - End of Year Appeal to the Brotherhood and their friends and family

To learn more and donate, visit: OraLee.org/Alphas.

Morris Day and Jerome Benton of Morris Day and The Time perform onstage during the 2022 Soul Train Awards presented by BET at the Orleans Arena on November 13, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)

The Soul Train Awards 2022 presented by BET and hosted by award-winning comedian and actor Deon Cole, featured a lineup of unforgettable performances including special moments and appearances by some of the brightest stars in Black culture and entertainment. 

The event kicked off with the “Soul Train Awards Red Carpet Special,” with hosts Tank covering the Main Stage, Letoya Luckett on the Correspondent Stage, and Novi Brown (“Tyler Perry’s Sistas”) in the Walmart Lounge. Beyoncé led the night with three wins for Album of The Year, Song of the Year and Best Collaboration with Ronald Isley & The Isley Brothers. 

Trailblazing 90’s R&B supergroup Xscape was crowned Lady of Soul at this year’s Awards. The award was presented to them by their legendary producer and So So Def Recordings founder Jermaine Dupri, who spoke fondly about knowing the group was destined for stardom when he met them. 

Xscape embodied elegance as they graced the stage and  accepted the award. The group  performed some of their biggest hits, including “My Little Secret,” “Who Can I Run To?,” ''Tonight,” and fan-favorite “Just Kickin It” with surprise guest Jermaine Dupri, to which the audience bumped, grooved, and sang along word for word. Xscape ended their performance with their powerful ballad, “Understanding.”

Iconic funk brand Morris Day & The Time closed out the night with the Legend Award, presented to them by JB Smoove. After reflecting on the group’s success, and their days collaborating with Prince, Morris Day & The Time accepted the award and expressed profound gratitude. The group then brought their blend of funk and soul to the stage, performing a medley of their classic hits including “Cool,” “777,” “Jungle Love,” and closing out with crowd favorite “Bird,” keeping the audience on their feet dancing until the last note.

Here is the complete list of Soul Train Awards 2022 winners:
 
Best New Artist
Tems  
 
Certified Soul Award
Mary J. Blige          
 
Best R&B/Soul Female Artist
Jazmine Sullivan  
 
Best R&B/Soul Male Artist
Chris Brown         
 
Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
Maverick City Music X Kirk Franklin          
 
Song of the Year
Break My Soul  -    Beyoncé
  
Album of the Year
Renaissance     -     Beyoncé
 
The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award
Hrs & Hrs  -  Muni Long
 
Best Dance Performance
About Damn Time  Lizzo

Best Collaboration
Make Me Say It Again, Girl     -    Ronald Isley & The Isley Brothers Feat. Beyoncé
 
Video of the Year
Smokin Out The Window  -   Bruno Mars, Anderson Paak, Silk Sonic

Watch an encore airing of Soul Train Awards 2022, Sunday, November 27 at 8 PM ET/PT and Thursday, December 1 at 9 PM ET/PT on BET. The Soul Train Awards 2022 will air internationally on BET Africa on Sunday, November 27 at 3:00 CAT, BET France on Thursday, December 1 at 20:45 PM CET. The show will also be available to watch on My5 and Sky On-Demand in the UK beginning Thursday, December 1.

On this fourth Thursday in November many will gather with family and friends for a sumptuous meal with all the trimmings. We will enjoy a Thanksgiving Parade and football game as we wait in anticipation for Black Friday sales and the Christmas shopping season. For others the reality of the challenges of life --- food insecurity, housing insecurity, illness, debt and loss of loved ones make this day difficult to navigate. Let's be mindful of that. 

The Thanksgiving holiday, as many have been taught, is based on a mythical dinner between Native Americans and Pilgrims. As with many American traditions, we have drifted so far away from the original intent that we basically just enjoy the day off from work or school without consideration of its origin or purpose. In the case of Thanksgiving that is a good thing. To the indigenous peoples of America, Thanksgiving, like Columbus Day is traumatic as it was not peaceful but violent and resulted in the death of their ancestors. Let's be mindful of that. 

As history is being whitewashed and in some cases erased, it is ever more crucial that we teach ourselves and our children the truth outside of their traditional classroom. So, know the facts about Thanksgiving. Continue to express gratitude and enjoy your time with family and friends even if you are trash-talking each other about a football game or a game of bid whist. 

Family is the foundation of our community. We thank you for joining us in this movement as we strengthen our family bonds for future generations. Give Thanks every day. Asé. Amen.

Today is Tuesday, November 8, 2022. This is the LAST DAY to vote in the 2022 midterm elections. Vote-By-Mail ballots have been returned. Early voting is complete. Today is the last day for in-person voting, which must be done at your precinct. If you live in Miami-Dade County and don't know where your precinct is located, click here. The polls close at 7 pm.

From various reports, it appears that the voter-suppressive tactics of Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican Party and anemic Florida Democratic Party challenge have effectively curtailed the black vote. From the unresolved reports of the unauthorized changes to the party affiliation of several voters in Miami-Dade County to redistricting resulting in diminished black voting strength to the newly-formed elections police force's arrest of several returning citizens for voter fraud, this has been quite an eventful political season.

While it appears that Florida has been written off as a red state, we, as citizens, have the right to vote and should exercise it for every election. Go Vote!

Many of you are probably tired of hearing about politics, especially during this time of political violence and extreme polarization. Please study the picture below. Discuss it with your family. This is history. This is why WE MUST VOTE in every election. This is an effigy strung up by the Klu Klux Klan in Miami, Florida, in the 1940s. It was done to intimidate African American voters.

In 2022, media coverage of Florida’s election police arresting mostly Black, unsuspecting returning citizens, who were led to believe they had the right to vote, has the same chilling effect.

Don’t be fooled. The vote is power. We must not be too afraid to use it.

Photo source: Stetson Kennedy Collection, Georgia State University