A critical town hall meeting will be held this evening regarding the treatment of girls of color by school resource officers (SROs). Too many of us have already forgotten the shocking video of SRO Ben Fields body-slamming a black female student to the floor at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, SC last year.  Incidents such as this happen to Black girls and Latinas more than many of us realize. We focus on boys but let’s not forget the girls. Don’t miss this important conversation with Dr. Monique W. Morris, educator and author of PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools.

Monique W. Morris, EdD

This activity is presented by the Georgetown University Center on Poverty and Inequality and the National Black Women's Justice Institute. Parents, students, teachers, school resource officers and other interested individuals are encouraged to attend. Click here to RSVP.

My high school classmate, DC Clark, also president of ICARE (Inner City Alumni for Responsibility Education) is stirring the pot this morning about Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho’s plans to build a charter school in the soon-to-be demolished and renovated Liberty Square Housing Project also known as the Pork ’n Beans. It seems the issue has become quite public and quite political since the Mayor reported the Sup to the ethics commission. You gotta love Miami.

Anywho, this is what DC wrote:

Are Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Superintendent Alberto Carvalho fighting to see who can fuck the Black community the most?

Do you remember all the planning, preparation and anticipation you went through on Sunday in order to get ready for the Super Bowl? Well you better muster up the same kind of energy for this fight we have that is being played out right before our very eyes. From the looks of things we are being gashed with no Vasoline.

Fact: The new Liberty Square $250 million development project is destined to have a new Charter School placed right smack in the middle of it. It will be a K-12 school that will negatively affect the enrollment of Northwestern and Edison and their surrounding feeder patterns which includes Holmes, MLK, Allapattah and others. What will happen to those schools would be worse than what happened to Central once Turner Tech was placed literally in our backyard. It will also be the first leg of gentrification.

But wait, it gets worse. There is speculation that Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and the District was in on this plan all along. From the looks of things, they partnered up with the University of Miami to form a team by the name of Miami Waymark 2.0. That team was the third highest bidder and was recently eliminated from the process. Related Urban Development Group and Atlantic Pacific Communities are the two groups remaining in the Bidding process. Carvalho said his team signed his name to this bidding process and he had limited knowledge of it. Of course many people that I talked to think this is total bullshit.

The Miami Herald recently reported that after Miami Waymark 2.0 was eliminated, the Superintendent paid Miami Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez a call and wrote him a letter which he, the Mayor, reported to the Ethics committee. A Cone of Silence was put into place so that participants of the bidding process could not openly discuss the bid. This is particularly troubling because it appears that District personnel reached out to ICARE to condemn the Charter school only after they were eliminated. If this is true, then they have some explaining to do.

Bottom line is it appears a K thru 12 Charter school will be placed right in the middle of the new Liberty Square development. It will have a negative affect on many of our schools that have been long standing institutions in our community. Many of those schools will face closing. This without any input from the community. Before ICARE renders it's final conclusion on this matter, we are demanding a copy of the letter sent to the Mayor by the Superintendent and we are also seeking the letter detailing the District's involvement in the bidding process. Both are public record and we expect to have them soon. In the meantime, we’ve got to get off our asses and let our voices be heard. Stay Tuned.

Wake up, family. Too many of us have been distracted by foolishness and intentionally misguided far too long. We have been sold out by folks who look like us. Some of us in positions of influence, hand-picked by the powers that be, have done little to nothing for the collective and only satisfied our individual desires for materialism that masks our insecurities. Nothing about this issue is really a surprise. Some folks, including Blacks, are sincerely ignorant of the damage they inflict upon the Black community while others are keenly aware and rely upon the ignorance and/or silence of others to accomplish their goals. Wake up. Stay woke. 

♥ Va-Va

The W.I.S.H. Foundation (Women Involved in Service to Humanity) and Gamma Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority welcome middle school age and high school age youth to their fifth annual youth symposium presented in conjunction with national celebrations of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

Students throughout Florida are granted MLK Day off from school. The MLK Youth Symposium is the perfect opportunity to engage youth in the meaning of the MLK federal holiday. Parents are encouraged to bring their children. Leaders of youth mentoring groups of all organizations as well as school and church youth groups are also strongly encouraged to bring their members.

This year’s theme, “Your Destiny Awaits You” sets the stage for an afternoon of education, enlightenment, inspiration and empowerment. Program organizer Dr. Cynthia Mitchell Clarke is delighted to present young civil rights activists, Umi Selah and the Dream Defenders to this year’s attendees. “Our students will better identify with other young people as our event unfolds. We expect the international reputation and rich experiences of the Dream Defenders will result in spirited dialogue and a positive impact on our youth,” said Clarke.

The youth will also participate in group discussions on two books by award-winning actor and best selling author Hill Harper: “Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny” and “Letters to a Young Sister: DeFINE Your Destiny.” These books are considered must reading for today’s youth, as they are educational, uplifting and inspirational.

The MLK Youth Symposium is 2pm-5pm, Sunday, January 17, 2016, at Miami Carol City Senior High School, 3301 Miami Gardens Drive, Miami Gardens, FL 33056. The event is free and presented in partnership with the United Teachers of Dade, Vice Mayor Felicia Robinson - City of Miami Gardens, Councilman David Williams, Jr. - City of Miami Gardens, and Miami-Dade County School Board Member Wilbert "Tee" Holloway.

Shout out to Miami-Dade County Commissioners Dennis Moss; audrey Edmonson; Barbara Jordan and Danielle Levine Cava for voting in opposition to the renaming of a street after the late Jose Milton, a developer whose company has a history of housing discrimination against Blacks in Miami-Dade County.

Apparently, Milton was also a generous contributor to political campaigns, humanitarian causes and County parks. After a passionate discussion, the majority of the County Commissioners chose to approve the street naming anyway.

- vb

Related Link:

Miami-Dade Commission names street after developer José Milton

ICARE meets with Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho

My friend and high school classmate, William DC Clark, keeps the community informed via his Facebook page. Many of his posts are about Black History. At this time of the year, many are about athletics, especially Miami Central football. Others are comical. And then there are the thought-provoking posts like the one below...

DC: While fighting for more inclusion of our Urban Core schools, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho told us that some folks in "other" communities feel that he does too much for Blacks. Yeah right, like we should be satisfied with receiving only 3 out of 53 Schools of Choice programs the District just recently rolled out. The truth is, some "others " feel that we shouldn't be given a damn thing. Blacks were treated like shit in the country they came from and they feel it should be the same way here. What they do not understand is you have Blacks in this country who aren't as docile as the ones under their control back "home" and don't mind standing up for what we believe in. Racist pigs.

In my opinion, it's easy to become angered by the Superintendent's comment but his comment reflects just how much Blacks have regressed as a group in Miami-Dade County. In spite of a few Blacks in some key positions and Black celebrities and professional athletes living in the area, we are largely merely tolerated, an afterthought, disrespected or down right ignored as a people group. His words should make us think.

Regardless of the demographic box we think we fall under --- African-American, Hispanic, Caribbean, biracial, multiracial, etc., if our skin is black, we are in the same boat. The Superintendent's words should make us think and move us to action to support our businesses in our community, elect leaders who move an agenda that focuses on the group rather than themselves or a few, get out and vote, and teach ourselves and our children to be proud of our African heritage.

Let's wake up, Black Miami. 

“Orange Is The New Black” star Uzo Aduba, also known as her character Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren, joined HuffPost Live and commented on the current state of race relations in the U.S.

Aduba: “We’re living in a time right now where the challenging and the hard conversation needs to be had. We’re watching the country, the face of this country and the ideas of this country, change and move into a place where we have the opportunity to stand on the right side of history. And I think people are wanting to be made part of the conversation that is our American history. And I feel that it is our responsibility as human beings and members of the human family to use our voice to ignite that change. I do think that is important. I think we are living in a very fragile time where we have the opportunity to be the people we say we are. Not just stand by and watch anything and everything happen in ways that will be disastrous for our future.”

Just in time for school. Parents, friends, family and folks I don't even know: Do check out this video by a poet from the Houston, TX area who goes by the name, SE7EN. Take it all in and do share this message. TOGETHER, we can do things and believe me, other folks know that! Peace. 

BEFORE THE BELL RINGS FINAL from marlon hall on Vimeo.

 Have an awesome, safe and productive school year. Remember that applied knowledge is power.

-vb

@vbyers

Related Link: 

Official Website of Se7en the Poet

Dylann Storm Roof the arrested killer of nine worshippers Mother Emanuel AME Church

Let me say this ... I love journalism and have been blessed to do what I love for a number of years. We do great work sometimes.But when it comes to covering racial issues, especially communities of color (read: black and brown), the industry sucks. It is past time that we stop with the disparate characterizations of suspects and victims based on skin color. Y'all know it happens all the time.

Dylann Roof wasn't created in a vacuum. He's a product of a society that taught him black people "rape" white women and must be slaughtered. That is a terrorist mindset. The only outlet that I've seen to label him as such is The Raw Story. Mainstream media ain't gonna do it. Yet, Dylann wore black or brown skin he'd be called a thug or worse from the onset.

Any crime story that involves a suspect of color will include race in the description high up in the story. If the suspect is white, there is no mention of race. That has happened since I've been in the industry. I made a point of including race in every story I wrote out of a sense of fairness. Of course, that was like dropping a pebble in the freakin' ocean. For every one story I wrote, there were 250 others that did just the opposite. Hard to even the narrative.

But it's more than just crime. Black people are marginalized in coverage in just about every aspect of life. Whether it's in broadcast or print news, or in episodic or reality TV, or in the movies. Viewers, readers, listeners are more likely to get a negative portrayal of us. And that message travels across waterways into other countries. People arrive in this country with the attitude that African Americans are shiftless, lazy, irresponsible bums, because that is the only message they get. hurts like heck to hear (overhear) islanders speak disparagingly of me and mine. Heck, we're in the same boat! You just don't realize it. Keep living here and you will learn!! Ugh!

I digress. Gotta stay focused. Media helped create Dylann Roof. Why listen, view or read media outlets that are unfair, partial and/or flat out wrong? Educate yourselves, people! Demand better. There is so much more to be said. But I haven't eaten much lately and have to get something in my stomach. Please, do yourself a favor and become a more discerning consumer of information. You really owe it to yourself, and to humanity.

The Conversation Continues…Is There Still Hope for #OneAmerica?

Save the Date as Miami's most influential and civic-minded women (and men) will gather again to network, talk politics and address other domestic and international issues at Pumps, Pearls & Politics 2015. The event will begin at Noon at The Rusty Pelican Restaurant on beautiful Key Biscayne. With many local and national incidents regarding racism; access to healthcare; education and immigration, the conversation is sure to be lively.

The distinguished panel is in formation and includes: Keynote speaker Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson; Adora Obi Nweze, President-Florida State Conference of the NAACP and President - Miami-Dade Branch of the NAACP; Annette Taddeo, Past Vice Chair - Florida Democratic Party & Past Chair, Miami-Dade Democratic Party; and Attorney Patricia St. Vil-Joseph, alsoFirst Lady of the City of North Miami. Entertainment will again include Pumps, Pearls & Politics Poet Laureate and Grammy-nominated Spoken Word Artist Rebecca  “Butterfly” Vaughns. Women's organizations will also be recognized for their social service and civic accomplishments.

PUMPS, PEARLS & POLITICS 2015

SATURDAY - 07/25/2015

Noon

THE RUSTY PELICAN

3201 Rickenbacker Causeway

Key Biscayne, FL 33149

Admission: $35 [Seating is Limited.]

To pay by mail: Make check or money order payable to and mail to Gamma Zeta Omega, PO Box 530711, Miami Shores, FL 33153. (Payments must be received by 07.11.2015.) Online payment instructions are forthcoming.

For more information or to RSVP, call or text Vanessa Byers at 305.323.7614 or email [email protected].

Presented by The Connection Committee of Gamma Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Today is Day Number 160 and President Barack Obama's nomination of Loretta Lynch for United States Attorney General has yet to be voted on. Republican Senators have stalled the vote by entwining Lynch's nomination with legislation on human trafficking and abortion. These issues have nothing to do with Lynch's nomination. Stop the shenanigans. Current AG Eric Holder is a black male and his confirmation took eight days. Are Republican Senators more sexist than they are racist?

‪#‎confirmlynch‬ ‪#‎becauseofthemwecan‬ ‪