MIAMI – The U.S. Small Business Administration signed a strategic alliance memorandum (SAM) with Florida Memorial University (FMU), the only historically black university in southern Florida, Tuesday, November 19, 2013, to promote entrepreneurship both on and off the Miami Gardens, Florida campus.

The agreement was signed during a ceremony with Florida Memorial Interim President Dr. Roslyn Artis, and SBA South Florida District Director Francisco “Pancho” Marrero at the University’s Lou Rawls Center for The Performing Arts.                 

Through the alliance, the SBA South Florida District Office and Florida Memorial University will work together to serve FMU students interested in business ownership and to also address the needs of historically underserved small businesses throughout the Miami Gardens area.

“Knowledge, exposure and opportunity are critical elements in our student’s success” said Interim President Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis.  “At Florida Memorial University, we believe in developing strategic, partnerships so that our students have the benefits of real world experience in addition to theoretical knowledge.”

Through the first of its kind in south Florida, this alliance is the latest in a series of similar agreements between SBA and historically black colleges and universities located throughout SBA’s eight-state southeastern region.  

“The purpose of these alliances is to educate today's youth, minority students of the entrepreneurial opportunities that exist today and to connect these students with resources that can help to fulfill their entrepreneurial dreams. This initiative is not meant only for business school students, but to all of the students within the college or university,”   said Marrero.

SBA South Florida District looks forward to working with its new partner.

“The strength of South Florida and especially Miami-Dade county business communities is its rich diversity of people and cultures.  Alliances such as this one with Florida Memorial University will provide a new generation of entrepreneurs awareness and access to the wide range of SBA resources to create new businesses and jobs here,” said Marrero.

For the university, the partnership extends beyond campus grounds. 

“Florida Memorial University welcomes this opportunity to join the SBA in bringing this important partnership to South Florida.  We are particularly pleased to share this opportunity with our Miami-Garden’s neighbors.” said Dr. Artis.  

DECAL D-FLORIDA MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY - 18.1" x 1.5"

It will be difficult for many people to believe such blatant travesties of justice take place in 2013 but it is very real. The storeowner is to be commended for being courageous enough to proceed with reporting the police officers. Mayor Oliver Gilbert and the City Council must deal with this with all deliberate speed. With the City already in the news for the number of shootings in the area, this situation likely will not go away quietly.

Related Link: In Miami Gardens, store video catches cops in the act

Mayor Oliver Gilbert, III

1. In the past he violated the state's election laws.
2. He oversees a city with one of the worst crime rates in the country. 
3. He hasn't handled the city's budget properly, and they say the city is $100 million in debt.

Political consultant Vanessa Brito, who we are told, doesn't live in Miami Gardens, is leading this effort. Dissatisfied Miami Gardens resident Fanny Arnold said that everyone is sorry they voted for Gilbert but others disagree. 

Vanessa Brito

If you live in Miami Gardens, what do you think about this? Do you support the recall of Mayor Gilbert?


- vb

Photos:   Facebook

© 2013, Blogging Black Miami, www.bloggingblackmiami.com 

“If you are not at the table, you're on the menu.” ~ Unknown

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Miami Gardens, FL – Less than fifty miles from the City of Miami Gardens sits one of the nation’s premier underwater diving locations, Biscayne National Park. In a multi-agency and cross-state partnership, Miami Gardens youth will have the opportunity to explore scuba diving and related career fields during a hands-on presentation and in-pool demonstration by Youth Diving With a Purpose, (YDWP) Thursday, July 11th, 2013 at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex, 3000 NW 199th St., Miami Gardens, FL 33056 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. The Tennessee-based organization is designed to challenge and empower youth (ages 15 to 23) to pursue scuba diving skills which create limitless educational, travel and maritime career paths as well as foster more mature youth involved in environmental stewardship. 

Led by dive instructor Kenneth Stewart, teen divers from Youth Diving With a Purpose will conduct volunteer dive excursions in Biscayne National Park the week of July 7th, 2013. Extending their commitment to environmental education and exposing more youth of color to the world of diving, YDWP will join the City of Miami Gardens Parks and Recreation Department, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and members of the National Parks Conservation Association to conduct intimate demonstrations of dive equipment and technique with Miami Gardens youth in an effort to motivate, encourage and inspire the next generation of youth of color to pursue dive skills and water-related career opportunities. 

“Often-time youth of color are not exposed to these activity choices or career possibilities and that’s one reason I created Youth Diving With a Purpose,” explains Stewart. “I wanted to create an organization of African-American divers who would travel, learn and explore together. If I knew years ago that you could make a living doing this, my life would have been totally different today.” 

City of Miami Gardens youth taking part in this unique demonstration will hear from expert leaders in the dive field, including dive master, Kamau B. A. Sadiki, Vice President of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers and an Underwater Archeology Advocate, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Dive Master Lt.  Marcend Coney, and Dive Master Jay Haigler, a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Scientific Diver; one of only 586 divers worldwide to hold the distinction. A film documentary crew working with Youth Diving With a Purpose and a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue videographer will also be on scene capturing all of the day’s events. 

The three-hour hands-on scuba diving demonstration is expected to be the first in a series of new partnerships between City of Miami Gardens Parks and Recreation and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue in efforts to expose more youth of color to water-related recreational activities and career opportunities. 

For more information on the Youth Diving With a Purpose program partnering with City of Miami Gardens, contact Julia Yarbough, Media Relations Specialist at [email protected] or (305) 622-2480.

On the 1 year anniversary of the shooting death of Miami Gardens teenager, Trayvon Martin, we notify the Blogging Black Miami family that State Sen. Dwight Bullard has filed Senate Bill 622 and State Rep. Alan B. Williams has filed House Bill 4009 to repeal Florida's Stand Your Ground law. FL Governor Rick Scott and his Stand Your Ground Task Force have already concluded that no changes are needed in the law.

Let's be prepared to advocate, for SB 622 and HB 4009 during the upcoming Legislative Session. The Bills still protect 2nd Amendment Rights regarding the right to bear and keep arms. The position of the Stand Your Ground Task Force illustrates the uphill battle that passage of SB 622 and HB 4009 face.

Florida's 2013 Legislative Session starts March 5 and ends May 3. If you can write a letter or an email, make a phone call or send a fax, we need you to let your voice be heard. Stay tuned for more information on this issue. Thank you.

~ Va-Va

City of Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert invites all residents and concerned parties to a Town Hall Meeting with the Florida Department of Transportation. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the State Road 826 & NW 12 Avenue Project that is currently underway.

Town Hall Meeting with the Florida Department of Transportation

Tuesday, January 29, 2013
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex Auditorium
3000 NW 199th Street
Miami Gardens, FL 33169

For more information, please call the City of Miami Gardens at 305-622-8010.

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Ted Lucas, president of Slip-N-Slide Records and Miami Heat star James Jones joined forces to bring holiday cheer to children in Miami Gardens while motivating them towards academic achievement. During the All-Star Holiday Weekend, December 13 - 15, teachers and community leaders were also acknowledged for their commitment to education.

James Jones and Ted Lucas donate more than 100 bicycles, iPod nanos and gift cards to high-performing students at North County K-8 Center in Miami Gardens on December 13, 2012.

Children enjoy snow at the Ted Lucas Foundation Community Fair in Miami Gardens on December 15.

Entessari

Florida Memorial University’s (FMU) School of Business recently earned reaffirmation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). The reaffirmation is valid through 2020.

“This reaffirmation proves that our business school is credible and competitive,” said Abbass Entessari, Ph.D., dean of FMU’s School of Business. “We have a challenging and stimulating environment that is producing the next generation of business leaders.”

The university received official notification from ACBSP following an extensive process that started in 2010 and included a site visit by education and industry experts.

For the most part, this year’s Carnival was a success and based on comments from many, Miami Gardens was the perfect setting for the events. However, there were many complaints that headline act Alison Hinds was not allowed to perform.

Here is the statement, in full, from the event host committee that addresses that issue:

POST EVENT STATEMENT
OF
THE MIAMI BROWARD ONE CARNIVAL HOST COMMITTEE
Miami Gardens, Florida
October 11, 2011 

We, the members of the Miami Broward One Carnival Host Committee, value the integrity of our community event and the many people and entities that have supported us since our inception in South Florida. We want to apologize for not being able to deliver the complete entertainment lineup that our patrons were looking forward to and expected on Carnival Sunday.  Our headline act Alison Hinds was unable to perform due  to contractual obligations to the stadium and the financial repercussions that would follow any extensions of the event schedule. We were unable to permit a time extension.

The inclement tropical weather in  South Florida on Carnival weekend  was one of the stormiest  weekends experienced in months. Despite these challenges with the preceding inclement weather, we did not adjust our scheduled line up appropriately as a result of the rain delays.  This resulted in a show that extended its planned time. We take full responsibility for the logistic and presentation quality of all the cultural elements of the Carnival. Since the onset of these disappointments, we have communicated with all parties to express our sincere apologies.

In looking forward to the planning for 2012, we are listening to all feedback and will be making all best efforts to ensure improvements are made.

We appreciate the support of all bandleaders, patrons, entertainers, sponsors, elected officials, and volunteers  for a festive Carnival 2011 season and look forward to a greater and more improved Miami Broward One Carnival in 2012.

Great Caribbean Music