The general meeting of the Miami-Dade Branch of the NAACP will take place 7 p.m., Monday, June 18, 2018 at the New Way Praise & Worship Center, 16800 NW 22 Avenue, Miami Gardens, FL 33056. The meeting is open to the public and new members are appreciated. 

The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most influential civil rights organization in the nation. If you want to make a difference in the community, don’t miss this meeting. Everyone is welcome.

American-owned company hosting local job fair in search of talent on June 16th.

Miami Gardens, FL (June 6, 2018)—Ozinga, a 90-year-old American, family-owned company, is hosting a job fair to fill multiple open positions. Ozinga, provides concrete, aggregate materials, and energy solutions in multiple states through a fleet of trucks, barges, rail, and the iconic red and white striped concrete mixers. The job fair will be held on Saturday, June 16, 2018 from 9AM-12PM at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex, 3000 NW 199^thStreet, Miami Gardens, FL 33056.

At the job fair, Ozinga is seeking to hire drivers, batchmen, loader operators, mechanics, yard operators, and quality control technicians. The company offers competitive salaries, healthcare benefits and retirement plans. Applicants should bring an updated resume and be prepared for on-site interviews.To expedite the hiring process, applicants are advised to fill-out an application in advance which can be found at ozinga.com/careers. A concrete mixer will also be onsite for driver candidates to peruse and become acquainted with.

District 1 students will celebrate Black History through song, dance, visual art, and spoken word on Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at Miami Carol City Senior High School. Come out and support our students in celebration of Black History Month and beyond. The event is free and open to the public. It will be held in Miami Carol City Senior High School Auditorium, 3301 Miami Gardens Drive (NW 183rd Street) in Miami Gardens. You are advised to arrive early. Last year's event was standing-room only and some supporters had to be turned away to not violate fire laws. 

The community is invited to witness the swearing-in of Dr. Steve Gallon III as the member for District 1, School Board of Miami-Dade County. On November 8, 2016, the voters overwhelmingly supported Dr. Gallon’s campaign for change and focus on improving District 1 failing schools. Dr. Gallon will be sworn-in during a public ceremony on Tuesday morning at the School Board Administration Building. However, for the convenience of parents, students and other stakeholders in District 1, a community swearing-in ceremony will be held at 6 p.m., Tuesday, November 22, 2016, at Miami Carol City Middle School, 3737 NW 188th Street, Miami Gardens, FL 33055.

Please share this information with your network of family and friends. For more information call 786-307-5956.

Pastor Wayne Lomax

WASHINGTON —This morning, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson will welcome Pastor Wayne Lomax as guest chaplain to lead the day’s opening prayer before Congress. Pastor Lomax is the founder and senior pastor of the Fountain of New Life church located in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Founded nearly 20 years ago, the Fountain of New Life is one of the largest churches in Florida and an indispensable community partner in South Florida. The church enriches thousands of lives in Florida’s 24th congressional district and tackles many pressing issues, including hunger, poverty, and crime. The pastor is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  He is a proud husband and father of three beautiful children.

Tune into your local C-SPAN station, at 11:30 a.m. ET, to watch Pastor Lomax deliver the prayer and Rep. Wilson welcome him to the House floor.

James B. Wright continues his fight to remain on the ballot for City of Miami Gardens mayor.

There is a saying that you can't fight city hall. As quietly as it is being kept, James Wright, disqualified by the City of Miami Gardens in its mayoral race, is having none of that. Wright continues his fight today as he seeks to remain on the ballot. 

Initial discussion, on social media, of Wright's disqualification due to his returned check  led many to believe the check for his qualifying fee was returned due to insufficient funds. According to correspondence from the City to Wright, the check was returned because the account number could not be found. According to Wright’s bank, the check was never submitted for deposit.

City of Miami Gardens Clerk Ronetta Taylor notified Wright on June 20, 2016 that his check was returned and since it was after the qualifying period, he was disqualified. Wright submitted the check on the afternoon of June 1, 2016. Qualifying closed on the following day, June 2. 

Wright takes issue with the lapse in time between the date of submission of his qualifying documentation, including his check, and the notification of disqualification. Wright also asserts that City procedures were not followed when he submitted his qualifying documents. The City typically escorts a candidate to its finance area where the availability of funds in a candidate's account is determined on the spot. Wright notes a candidate for one of the council seats was notified that funds were not available in his account. That candidate opened his campaign account and filed his qualifying documents on the same day, the funds would not be available until the next day. That individual was not disqualified by the City Clerk. 

Well-known elections law attorney, J.C. Planas, has been hired to defend the City of Miami Gardens. Should the City prevail, there is evidence of change needed in the elections qualifying period, process and procedures. Should Wright prevail, this situation also warrants investigation of possible violation of established procedures. The City of Miami Gardens did not respond to requests for comment for this article. Stay tuned.

Watch the videos of Wright’s guest appearances on the Chief Jimmie Brown Show. 

June 26, 2016  - Chief Jimmie Brown Show on WMBM guest hosted by Eric Pettus

July 3, 2016 - Chief Jimmie Brown Show on WMBM

 @vanessawbyers

MIAMI – The Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board, in partnership with elected officials and other advocacy organizations, will be hosting a series of youth and young adult forums over the next several weeks to discuss the rash of fatal shootings in high-impact neighborhoods and what can be done to make these communities safer.

The “How to Stop the Shootings” forums – which are designed to help reduce tensions and empower community members by engaging youth, providing a forum to share information, identify resources and facilitate partnerships and relationships – will take place at the following times and locations:

Thursday, Feb. 25, 6:30 to 9 p.m.

African Heritage Cultural Center, 6161 NW 22nd Ave.

Miami, FL 33142

Thursday, March 10, 2016, 6:30 to 9 p.m.

West Perrine Park, 10301 SW 170th Terrace

Miami, FL 33157

Thursday, March 17, 2016, 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Edison Community Resource Center, 150 NW 79th Street

Miami, FL 33130

Thursday, March 31, 2016, 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Miami Gardens Community Resource Center, 16405 NW 25th Avenue

Miami Gardens, FL 33054

For more information, contact the CRB at 305-375-1406 or CommunityRelations@miamidade.gov or visit www.miamidade.gov/advocacy

Enjoy a free, fun-filled day of Health at HEART HEALTH EXPO-2 presented by Gamma Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, 10am - 2pm, Saturday, 02/27/2016, Walmart, 3791 NW 167th Street, Miami Gardens, FL 33055. Bring your family and friends! To RSVP and for additional information, email [email protected].

The Walking One Stop originally scheduled for this Monday, November 2 has been postponed to November 9. Logistically, it is necessary to postpone the Walking One Stop as the Miami Gardens Police Department is in the process of moving into their new headquarters. Please mark your calendar – more details are forthcoming.  A special edition Walking One Stop is scheduled for Wednesday, November 18, 2015, 9:30 a.m. – Noon, in Richmond Heights.