Rosa Parks mugshot, Montgomery, AL, 12/01/1955

On a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama, on this date, in 1955, Mrs. Rosa Parks had enough. On this date Mrs. Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man. She was already seated in the “colored” section of the bus, but the “whites” section was full. It was customary for Blacks to give up their seat for whites, but Mrs. Parks was not feeling compliant that day. She was not tired as she is frequently depicted in historical recounting of the incident, at least not physically. She was tired of the denigrating treatment of Black customers who used the public transportation system in Montgomery Alabama. She had enough.

Unbeknownst to many today, prior to Mrs. Parks’ arrest, Black women had already started organizing a protest through a group called the Women's Political Council or WPC. They started a couple of years earlier in 1953. In March 1955, a few months prior to the arrest of Rosa Parks, a teenager by the name of Claudette Colvin refuse to give up her seat. The people had enough.

The Montgomery bus boycott would last 381 days from December 5, 1955, through December 20, 1956. Two years after the Montgomery Bus Boycott began, Mrs. Parks and her husband, Raymond, lost their job jobs and received numerous death threats after her arrest. They later moved to Detroit, Michigan where he passed away in 1977 and she in 2005.

So, as you take a seat on a bus or an airplane, or even in a movie theater or restaurant, be mindful of the people who paved the way for you to casually move about in America. Also be sure to tell and retell American history.

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.

This evening, the Religious Affairs Committee of the Miami-Dade Branch NAACP will continue with their series on local religious leaders, Meet the Pastor.

This episode’s special guests are Rev. Dr. Jimmie L. Bryant, Senior Pastor and Lady Estella King-Bryant of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Liberty City. You don’t want to miss this lively, educational, engaging and motivational conversation. Pastor and Lady Bryant are inarguably one of the most forward-thinking religious couples around.

• When: TONIGHT, July 11, 2022, 7:00 PM ET 
• Where: Via Zoom & Facebook Live 
• ZOOM Meeting ID: 853 4173 4135  Passcode: 640493 
• Facebook Live: @MiamiDadeNAACP

Juneteenth became a federal holiday when President Joseph Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021. To much fanfare, the holiday has received much media coverage and commentary. This year, the actual date, June 19, fell on Father’s Day to the chagrin of many people who don’t support Juneteenth. Those same folks said Juneteenth overshadowed Father’s Day. It's crucial to know the real history of Juneteenth and separate fact from folklore. June 19 is a Texas holiday that has now become a holiday for America. Please watch this interview with Dr. Carl Mack to put the Civil War, the legal end of chattel slavery in America, and Juneteenth in context for an accurate understanding.

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers everywhere. If you can give your mother a hug or talk to her on the telephone, understand that you are blessed. If your mother is no longer with you in the natural, understand that you are blessed because she is always with you. Most of all, understand that you don't need a 'special' day to show love to your mother or anyone else. 

As Americans witness the advancement and passage of laws making it more difficult to vote throughout the nation, the Miami-Dade Chapter of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is hosting an important symposium on Sunday, February 20, 2022, 6 PM ET, “Voting Rights Act-The Power of Now: Why it’s important to you!” This virtual event is designed to educate, inform, mobilize and empower voters.  Visit https://tinyurl.com/36e6a7dj to pre-register for the event. 

The NPHC is a collaborative council of Black Greek-letter fraternities and sororities informally known as the “Divine Nine.” These organizations have historically played a significant role in fighting for civil rights in America and in Get Out The Vote initiatives. 

Laura Coates will lead this conversation on voting rights. She is a CNN senior legal analyst, SiriusXM talk show host, attorney, author and college professor. Other panelists are Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (AKA), State Senator Shevrin Jones (ΑΦΑ), State Representative Christopher Benjamin (ΩΨΦ), Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Bar Association Trelvis Randolph (ΦΒΣ), and Vanessa Woodard Byers (ΑΚΑ), creator and editor of Blogging Black Miami. 

Don’t miss this lively, engaging and informative discussion Sunday,  February 20, 2022, at 6 PM ET. Join the conversation by pre-registering at https://tinyurl.com/36e6a7dj. 

Dr. Keietta Givens (ΔΣΘ) is president of the Miami-Dade Chapter of the NPHC. 

MIAMI – February 3, 2022 – Community Health of South Florida Inc. (CHI), is proud to host Give Kids A Smile Day on February 4, 2022. The annual event provides free dental screenings, cleanings, vanish, sealants and giveaways to children ages one to 16 years old.

“Every year we see children who have never been to the dentist on this day,” said Dr. Sheri Watson Hamilton, D.M.D., CHI Dental Director. “That’s a sad state of affairs, as lack of dental care can leave a child in pain or suffering with other health related consequences.”

CHI, a non-profit healthcare company has been a beacon of hope providing access to high quality healthcare for all regardless of insurance status, income level or background since 1971. To mitigate against the COVID-19 virus, various safety protocols have also been implemented to promote a safe, welcoming environment. As such, appointments will be required to ensure patient safety.

In partnership with the American Dental Association (ADA) Foundation, the Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) program provides oral healthcare to underserved children at no cost. Since 2003, local GKAS events have helped more than six million children get access to dental services with the help of dentists and healthcare organizations across the United States.

“With so much focus surrounding the pandemic, it is important to remember not to neglect routine healthcare,” said Dr. Watson-Hamilton. “Children should not be deprived of good oral health, which studies have shown can have a positive impact on the body’s overall health and wellbeing.”

CHI will be offering these free services for children at the following locations:

• Doris Ison Health Center 10300 SW 216 St. Miami FL 33190

8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

• West Perrine Health Center 18255 Homestead Ave. Perrine FL 33157

8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

• South Miami Health Center 6350 Sunset Dr. South Miami FL 33143

8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

• West Kendall Health Center 13540 SW 135^thAve. Miami FL 33186

8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

• Martin Luther King Health Center 820 SW 1^st. St. Homestead FL 33030

8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Appointments are required, call (786) 272-2100.

The W.I.S.H. Foundation (Women Involved in Service to Humanity), Incorporated, in partnership with Gamma Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated presents the 2022 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Virtual Youth Symposium on Sunday, January 16, 2022, from 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm.  This year’s theme is "Are we Social Distancing from the Dream?".

This event is free and open to students of all grade levels from elementary through senior high school. Organization mentoring groups, church youth auxiliary groups, parents and organization members are encouraged to attend. The deadline to register to attend this event is January 12, 2022. Please note that parents must register separately and join the Parent's Forum on event day via a separate device.

Dr. Martha Johnson-Rutledge is the president of the Gamma Zeta Omega Chapter. Islamiyat Nancy Adebisi Elus is the Chairman of the W.I.S.H. Foundation, Incorporated. This is the eleventh year the organizations have presented this community event. Click HERE to register.

The Miami-Biscayne Bay Chapter of The Links, Incorporated will host an Estate Planning Virtual Conversation designed to educate communities of color on the importance of drafting a will to communicate final wishes and determine inheritance rights to the assets of their estate. A panel of legal and financial experts will share strategies for the process of probate/succession assets and property, ways to protect the legacy of land/home ownership and financial planning. The panelists are Marva Wiley, Esq., Vernita Williams-Eganti, Esq., and Amy Dawkins, Financial Advisor. 

Virtual Conversation on Estate Planning: How to Create Generation Wealth

Thursday, October 21, 2021 at 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Multiple Platforms: Zoom and Facebook

The entire community is invited to attend this free virtual event, but register in advance at: https://tinyurl.com/65ha4nh4

Miami-Dade County School Board Vice Chair and CUBE (Council of Urban Boards of Education) Chair Dr. Steve Gallon III welcomed CUBE 2021 attendees to their national conference, held in Atlanta, Georgia, September 16-18, 2021. Gallon delivered a powerful and insightful speech on the State of Urban Education. School Board members and other educational leaders from around the nation listened intently to his words, encouraging them to become “deliberate disruptors in the fight to improve education for the children, districts, and the communities they serve.”

He reminded school board members that they “hold the key to unshackle large populations of students who are trapped in perpetual failure and generational poverty.” His message focused on revolutionizing education through school board policy by encouraging attendees to “be a revolutionary for respect, be a revolutionary for resources, and be a revolutionary for the restoration of education as a moral, professional, national, and spiritual imperative,” he said. The nation’s school districts and children “need you to be revolutionaries.”

The CUBE Annual Conference is designed to foster effective school district leadership through practical clinic sessions and peer-led district workshops. CUBE has convened school board members from across the nation for the past 53 years to network and share the continually evolving strategies they are using to address the unique educational challenges that exist in our nation's urban centers. 

“It was a tremendously blessed, professional, and beneficial experience to join school leaders from around the nation,” Dr. Gallon said. “I am  humbled and honored to not only serve as CUBE Chair, but to kick off this sold-out conference and deliver words that prayerfully moved those in attendance to action on behalf of their districts, schools, and most importantly, their students.”

If you care about children and public education, you owe it to yourself to watch and listen to Dr. Gallon’s multifaceted address. And after you watch it, ask yourself if you are complicit or a culprit? Whether we are educational professionals or parents of students, or taxpayers, we must get off the sidelines and be advocates for our children. We must reject the status quo and shift the paradigm in education. Let’s work!