2019 Black History Month Issue-Legacy Miami -

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

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MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH • FEBRUARY 2019

Black History Is American History “Seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” –President Gerald Ford, 1976

of our ancestors like Sojourner Truth, an outspoken advocate for abolition, temperance and civil and women’s rights in the nineteenth century. We’re reminded of the roads that were paved for journalists like myself, thanks to Max Robinson, the first Black network news anchor in the late 70s. As Oscar season approaches, we’re reminded of actor Hattie McDaniel, the first Black to win an Academy Award in 1939.

6. SPECIAL TO LEGACY Dr. Richard Payne - One of a Kind, Yet One of Us

By Diane Deese of VITAS 8. CAREER, LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT

By Mary Davids BUSINESS REPORT

By Beatrice Louissaint

12. COVER STORY Despite Challenges, Opa-locka’s Mayor Believes City’s Future Is as Bright As Its History

By Isheka Harrison 16. SOCIAL MEDIA

By Tracy Timberlake 18. LEGACY BRIEF New Book Highlights Historical Impact of ‘The Miami Times’

By Legacy Staff

800.93.VITAS • VITAS.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

4. CHAIRWOMAN’S REPORT

By Audrey Edmonson POLITICS

By Chris Norwood

10. ENTREPRENEUR Childhood Dream Becomes Reality for Owner of Spa Chain

By Janiah Adams

VITAS® Healthcare honors the accomplishments of all black Americans this February. We give special thanks to our African American employees for everything they do for our patients, their families and our hospice teams.

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Locally, we’re reminded of the contributions of legends such as D.A. Dorsey, a real estate mogul who became South Florida’s first Black millionaire. Then there’s Dr. James Sistrunk, Broward County’s first Black physician, whose name is stamped on street signs We’re reminded of the sacrifices that will lead you right through

To be honest, I don’t necessarily go out of my way to celebrate Black History Month. Yes, it’s an honor for the world to acknowledge the achievements and milestones of African Americans for 28 straight days.

Subscribe to and view the digital version of Legacy Magazine And view additional articles at http://bitly.com/legacymagazines Facebook: Facebook.com/TheMIAMagazine Twitter and Instagram: @TheMIAMagazine #BeInformed #BeInfluential #BlackHistoryMonth Dexter A. Bridgeman CEO & Founder Shannel Escoffery Director of Operations Karla Cohen Designer

Russell Motley Editor-in-Chief Yanela G. McLeod Copy Editor Joe Wesley Cover Photo

Member of the Black Owned Media Alliance (BOMA) CREDO OF THE BLACK PRESS “The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from racial and national antagonisms when it accords to every one regardless of race, color or creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person, the Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief that all hurt as long as anyone is held back.”

Fort Lauderdale’s thriving Black business district.

The list goes on and on. It is evident that African Africans have made vast contributions to this country and to South Florida. But this is something I, personally, study, celebrate or ponder almost every day of the year. So when it’s come to Black History Month, at least for me, it’s business as usual.

But I’d be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to remind those of you, regardless of your race, that Black history - which is American history - matters.

Russell Motley Legacy Editor-in-Chief rm@miamediagrp.com

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CHAIRWOMAN’S REPORT

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

Putting End to Gun Violence Honors Dr. King’s legacy

By Audrey M. Edmonson It has now been more than 50 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fell to an assassin’s bullet on that fateful April evening in 1968. As we look back, although we still mourn his loss, we can certainly celebrate the tremendous progress this nation has made on the Miami-Dade County Commission Chairwoman road to justice Audrey M. Edmonson. and equality as a result of Dr. King’s work. But how are we honoring his legacy today?

As the commissioner for District 3, I am constantly reminded of the devastating toll taken by senseless gun

violence, so I can’t help but ask myself that question: How are we honoring Dr. King’s legacy of nonviolence when our young men continue to gun each other down on the streets? Are we honoring it when innocent children at play are caught in the gang crossfire and struck down as collateral damage?

Are we honoring it when we know who the perpetrators are but don’t report them to the police because of the perverse culture of “no snitching” in some of our neighborhoods?

As the new chairwoman of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, I have made fighting the scourge of gun violence one of the top priorities of my two-year chairmanship.

I am strategizing with local law enforcement, our school system, multiple agencies and community-based organizations to address this epidemic.

In past years, through initiatives like Operation Restoration, Project PEACE

and Operation Blue Brown, we have seen some reduction in gun violence.

I will bring new legislation before the Commission to enhance these efforts with a “boots on the ground” approach – working with local organizations, clergy, law enforcement and our county’s Juvenile Services Department to bring peace and safety to our neighborhoods.

But this fight will take a lot more than a renewed legislative focus, new policies and programs. It will take an unflinching commitment on the part of each and every one of us, especially those living on the front lines in the neighborhoods most affected, to do what is necessary – working from within to change the culture so that we can finally end this plague of violence, because the loss of one life to senseless gun violence is one life too many.

So during this Black History Month, I urge you to be part of the solution by beginning the work of rebuilding

our neighborhoods and our families.

Volunteer to become a mentor to an inner-city youth. Start a neighborhood crime watch to put criminals on notice that they will be prosecuted – not protected – for their crimes. Families, extended families and communities: stay involved in a child’s life. Children need us to be strong role models of responsibility and respectability, not models of antisocial behavior.

The seeds we sow today will become our legacy tomorrow. Let it be a legacy of nonviolence and justice so that years from now we can proudly say that we honored and upheld Dr. King’s legacy.

Audrey M. Edmonson is chairwoman of the Miami-Dade County Commission.

POLITICS

Miami Dolphins Break Racial Barrier in Coaching and Management

By Christopher Norwood Black History Month is a time for America to pause and highlight the contributions of African-Americans in American history. The great historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson in the 1920s, founded “Negro History Week” (precursor to Black History Month). He pressed for Norwood schools to use “Negro History Week” to demonstrate what students learned all year.

As with the fictional Jabari people in the hit film “Black Panther,” Woodson believed that to move forward, you have to have a strong adherence and respect for the past. This is why the Jabari had a

deep moral conscience.

In that spirit, the Miami Dolphins crossed a barrier and is poised to do something unprecedented. By the time of this publication, it is expected that the Miami Dolphins will hire Brian Flores, defensive coordinator of the Patriots, as its 13th head coach and the franchise’s first African-American coach (who also has a Latin American background).

Flores was born in Brooklyn to Honduran parents from the coast of Trujillo, home of the Garifuna, a distinct group of people with African origin.

In the era of the Black Lives Matter to resistance to the national anthem by Colin Kaepernick, the Miami Dolphins elevated Chris Grier to general manager, hired former Bills national scout Marvin Allen as assistant G.M., as well as former Lions and Colts head coach Jim Caldwell as assistant head coach. All of them African-American, all of them deserving.

According to the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, 94 percent of NFL franchise owners and 75 percent of head coaches are white. With no Black owners and only a handful of head coaches, the NFL players are 70 percent African-American men.

For these reasons, we all should take a minute and recognize that this is a special moment in the professional industry of sports. Black History is being made in Miami and it goes far beyond just February and is way more than Football.

Woodson received a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1912, when most AfricanAmericans lived and worked in segregated communities. He authored The Negro Professional Man and the Community (1934) to discuss class and occupational stratification within the Black community. Using a sample of 25,000 doctors, dentists, nurses, lawyers, writers, and journalists, he examined

income, education, family background, marital status, religious affiliation, club and professional memberships, and the literary tastes of Black professionals.

Woodson, like many Americans who came of age during the Progressive Era, believed that education was a catalyst for social action and social change. He believed the history of African people in Africa and in the Americas would inspire. Declared Woodson in a speech at Hampton Institute in the 1920s: “We have a wonderful history behind us. ... If you are unable to demonstrate to the world that you have this record, the world will say to you, ‘You are not worthy to enjoy the blessings of democracy or anything else.’

Christopher Norwood is the spokesman for the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

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SPECIAL TO LEGACY

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

Honoring Dr. Richard Payne ‘One of a Kind, Yet One of Us’

By Diane Deese Depending on how you knew him, he was Rich, Richie or Dr. Richard Payne.

The ninth of 14 well-loved children, he was born in 1951 into a community that recognized his determination early and helped him get the education he wanted.

Dr. Richard Payne devoted his stellar career to easing the pain of his patients and community.

Dr. Payne, 67, died January 3, 2019, suddenly and far too soon. Gifted from the beginning, Dr. Payne graduated from Yale University in 1973 with a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, and from Harvard Medical School in 1977 with a medical degree. He never stopped learning. He held top positions at the nation’s leading cancer research and treatment centers.

Payne against pain

Lasting legacy

Dr. Payne’s peers from across the country expressed their sentiments after hearing the news of his passing: • “His spirit as ‘faithful servant and healer’ will forever bless those he touched”(Rev. Dr. Iva E. Carruthers, general secretary, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference) • “As accomplished as he was, he never made other physicians feel he was on a pedestal. He was one of us”(B. David Blake, M.D., DABFM, 2nd vice president, Georgia State Medical Association).

Ironically, Dr. Payne devoted his professional career to physical and emotional pain. He was a brilliant visionary who pushed untiringly for the rights of all — especially underserved minorities — to live and die without pain. He was a pastpresident of the American Pain Society.

His many distinctions include:

“He was a leader, a mentor, a healer and a hero!”(Peggy Pettit, executive vice president, VITAS Healthcare).

•Esther Colliflower Professor of Medicine and Divinity Emeritus at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. The distinction is named for Esther Colliflower, who was a Miami nurse and co-founder of VITAS® Healthcare.

We honor his memory every time we explain hospice to a physician, a medical organization or a med student. We honor him every time we support the outreach ministry of a congregation, address the pain of an African-American patients, or comfort a grieving family. We do these things in the name of Dr. Richard Payne.

•John B. Francis chairman in Bioethics at the Center for Practical Bioethics in Kansas City, Missouri, where he promoted the Advance Care Planning in African American Communities (ACP-AAFC) curriculum:.

•His creation of a progressive palliative care educational curriculum for African

Dr. Payne was remarkable. He was one of a kind, and yet one of us. To me, and to VITAS Healthcare, he was a champion: teaching, encouraging and leading the way.

Diane Deese is vice president of Community Affairs at VITAS® Healthcare in Miami, the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care.

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A COLLEGE EDUCATION

Americans at life’s end(APPEAL) that was taught widely throughout the country.

What lives on is Dr. Payne’s legacy on behalf of the hospice and palliative care movement. He was uniquely approachable and particularly supportive of VITAS’ collaboration with the Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life, including two initiatives for faith-based organizations: the Crossing Over Jordan symposia examining end-oflife care and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference’s Covenant of Care statement, which promoted quality of life at the end of life for African Americans.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

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CAREERINAYEAR.COM The School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida adheres to a policy of nondiscrimination in employment and educational programs/activities and strives affirmatively to provide equal opportunity for all as required by: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 - prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended - prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, or national origin. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 - prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender. Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) as amended - prohibits discrimination on the basis of age with respect to individuals who are at least 40. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 as amended - prohibits gender discrimination in payment of wages to women and men performing substantially equal work in the same establishment. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - prohibits discrimination against the disabled. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) - prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, public service, public accommodations and telecommunications. The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) - requires covered employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to “eligible” employees for certain family and medical reasons. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Florida Educational Equity Act (FEEA) - prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, gender, national origin, marital status, or handicap against a student or employee. Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 - secures for all individuals within the state freedom from discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, or marital status. Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) - prohibits discrimination against employees or applicants because of genetic information. Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act of 2002 – no public school shall deny equal access to, or a fair opportunity for groups to meet on school premises or in school facilities before or after school hours, or discriminate against any group officially affiliated with Boy Scouts of America or any other youth or community group listed in Title 36 (as a patriotic society). Veterans are provided re-employment rights in accordance with P.L. 93-508 (Federal Law) and Section 295.07 (Florida Statutes), which stipulate categorical preferences for employment. In Addition: School Board Policies 1362, 3362, 4362, and 5517 - Prohibit harassment and/or discrimination against students, employees, or applicants on the basis of sex, race, color, ethnic or national origin, religion, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender, gender identification, social and family background, linguistic preference, pregnancy, citizenship status, and any other legally prohibited basis. Retaliation for engaging in a protected activity is also prohibited. For additional information contact: Office of Civil Rights Compliance (CRC), Executive Director/Title IX Coordinator, 155 N.E. 15th Street, Suite P104E, Miami, Florida 33132; Phone: (305) 995-1580 TDD: (305) 995-2400; Email: crc@dadeschools.net Website: http://crc.dadeschools.net.

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CAREER, LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

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Be More Productive and Less Busy in 2019

By Mary V. Davids Productivity requires discipline, and discipline means you’ve created a habit. If you’ve ever intentionally created a habit, you know it is no easy task.

According to U.S. News, about 80 percent of people who create New Year’s resolutions Mary V. Davids never reach their annual goals. We start off strong, but somehow near March we’ve become “too busy” to execute our well-intentioned life goals.

To make sure your resolutions sticks this time, add these strategies to your to-do list: 1. Break goals into bite-size

chunks. The issue with giving yourself the entire year to reach your goal is that you grant yourself the grace of having a year to do it. Work backwards from your annual goal. Determine what you need to do every day, week, and month to reach your goal.

2. Celebrate your wins every day.

Lack of motivation is the peril of good intentions. Give yourself kudos for the progress you make, no matter how small. Any bit of progress towards your goal is productivity. Focus on what you accomplished during the day instead of beating yourself up about of what you did not. This helps end your day on a positive note.

3. Limit your to-do list to 3 items daily. Creating an extensive to-do list can be counterproductive, especially if you’re a procrastinator. You can end up becoming so overwhelmed by all the

things on the list that you do nothing at all. Shrink your list to three must-do items a day. If you complete at least one, you’ve had a good day. Add the one(s) you didn’t complete to the top of tomorrow’s list.

4. Stop blaming time for everything.There is always enough time in the day. Time isn’t the issue, priority is. Set a timer for the things you absolutely need to get done. This is a simple, yet very effective trick when you can’t afford to slack off or get distracted by all the other things you need to do.

Oprah never had more than 24-hours in the day. If she can do it, so can you.

5. Hold your “YES” to a higher standard. Whatever you say “yes” to, make sure you’ve considered how your commitment will impact your personal goals. A simple yes (because it’s the nice thing to do) can turn into a time-draining

nightmare. Ask for time to think before you commit.

6. When in doubt, pivot. Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in busy work. Give yourself the freedom to question your process or adjust your routine when you don’t see progress.

Be careful when seeking strategy from others. Some people will try and guilt you into staying on a sinking ship. Commitment isn’t just doing the same thing consistently. Commitment is knowing you will reach a desired outcome because of your effective process.

Mary V. Davids is an executive career and leadership development coach and owner of D&M Consulting Services, LLC. For career tips and advice visit www.marydavids.comor email info@ marydavids.com.

BUSINESS REPORT

Black-owned Businesses Making History

By Beatrice Louissaint Small businesses, particularly minority-owned businesses, are fueling South Florida’s economy. As we celebrate Black History Month, let’s applaud the successes of these blackowned businesses making history, and support black-owned companies by Beatrice Louissaint doing business and partnering with them.

The Barrington Group is a fullservice casting, production and brand project management company that operates in Miami, New York and the Caribbean. Headed by former top model agent Tyron Barrington, the company’s clients include Avon Mark Cosmetics, L’Oréal, Feria, Target, Jennifer Lopez, BMW, Elle and many others.

The Barrington Group has produced shoots with top fashion photographers

including Patrick Demarchelier, Matthias Vriens, Matt Jones, Alberto Tolot and Steven Klein. The company does television castings for reality shows, documentaries, films, commercials and TV dramas.

Design Develop Now is a South Florida-based multidisciplinary digital IT solutions company specializing in professional software development, commercial design, and digital marketing services.

Co-founder and president, Jamie Davis, has more than 15 years of experience in IT and business strategy and has worked in various domestic and international industries across multiple technologies. He has managed global IT infrastructure alongside onshore software development teams to ensure a stable environment, all while building resilient and cost-effective solutions.

Davis is a relentless entrepreneur.

Before he founded DDN, he co-founded a local startup that sold for $168 million after six years.

Wife and husband duo Yvonne and

Glenn Garth operate Garth Solutions, Inc. GSI, a management consulting firm, delivers targeted and strategic business solutions to a diverse portfolio of clients in both the public and private sectors in the U.S. and internationally.

The GSI team is made up of talented and proven professionals who immerse themselves in its clients’ missions to deliver the most effective economic development, project management and administration, marketing and communications, and business and project development solutions. Their goal is to secure the best possible client outcomes.

GSI has worked on major projects including the construction of the $1.4 billion MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and as lead for the Local Preference Program for Oleta Partners’ $4 billion public-privatepartnership SoLe Mia Development– a mixed-use project in the City of North Miami. Clients include Skanska, ACECOM and HKS Architects.

Kashonda Burton is president of

Innovative Software Solution, which provides copiers, printers, supplies, related services and network services.

The team at Innovative Software Solution uses its more than 20 years of experience in copier and IT networking services to deliver integrated digital imaging systems to clients that include Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Mourning Foundation and Broward County Public Schools.

The company also provides electrical supplies to clients in the public and private sectors throughout South Florida’s tri-county area.

To meet these and many other minority entrepreneurs, attend the Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council’s 34th Annual Business Expo, April 11-12, at the Broward County Convention Center.

Learn more about the Business Expo at www.fsmsdc.org, or call (305) 7626151.

Beatrice Louissaint is president and CEO of the Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council.

African Presence 2019 16th Annual Art Exhibition

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Feb. 8-MaR. 3 Alvin Sherman Library Adolfo and Marisela Cotilla Gallery

nova.edu/blackhistory

Sponsored by NSU’s Division of Public Relations and Marketing Communications.

Artwork on loan from, and curated by, NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale.

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ENTREPRENEUR

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

Childhood Dream Becomes Reality for Owner of Spa Chain

By Janiah Adams Since she was 11 years old, Martine Cola had the entrepreneurial spirit.

“When we did an essay on what you want to be when you grow up, there was nothing I really wanted to be,” she said. “On my book bag at the time, I had Martine City on my book bag and different businesses. [My teacher] said to talk about the businesses.”

Now, Cola doesn’t only own Sculpting Goddess, a spa and wellness center with several locations throughout the country, but she also has a mission to give Black women a space in the med spa industry.

It began after Cola completed the surgical technician program at Keiser University and started working for a plastic surgeon. She began managing their med spa, but when she was declined a raise, she decided to start her own.

Cola gained enough traction to get noticed by the Doctors TV Show in early 2015, when she was 23 years old. The show featured her and a client for the buttocks enhancement service, otherwise

franchise and I wanted known as “vacuum to give other women the therapy.” opportunity to make it big “I was 23 so everyone in this industry,” she said. was shocked that someone “I got great traction from this young was taking that, but I wasn’t ready.” over the med spa industry There were several because, one, I wasn’t a things Cola didn’t know surgeon, I wasn’t a male about franchising. Once she and I was Black,” she said. spoke to her attorney, she Throughout her was able expand upon her journey, many people have Martine Cola is a 27-year-old Miami location and open underestimated Cola one in Tallahassee, Lake because of her young age, entrepreneur whose aim is to provide Black women with a Worth, and Los Angeles, but that hasn’t been a space in the medspa industry.. which is the brand’s first deterrent for her. recovery home. There “It’s funny that people will soon be locations in Atlanta and look at me and say ‘you’ve only been Jacksonville. doing this since 2009,’ and they’ve been Buying one of Sculpting Goddess’ doing it for 34 years. But that’s where franchises won’t be easy. social media comes in and customer “What I tell people is when they service,” she said. first come to me, be realistic with your The med spa business is a multigoals,” she advised. “A lot of people think billion dollar industry that’s saturated franchising is cheap. Even though we’re with white males. That’s why Cola has kind of a small business, the paperwork dedicated part of her business to giving and legal fees is what gets you.” opportunities to Black women.

As Cola works towards greater “I decided in 2016 that I wanted to

success, including further expansion, her family has been her rock. With parents who came from Haiti to the United States, she’s constantly inspired.

“Looking at them and seeing them come from another country and making it in the U.S. and doing well for themselves, it’s been a big eye opener and made me want to do better for myself and my life,” she said.

Her family has also helped her to maintain her business.

“It’s real hard, especially with last year I was traveling every month and my family, who’s not into this business, they stepped up,” she said.

Martine’s older brother, Peterson Cola, said he’s very proud of his sister.

“She doesn’t know her potential and I always tell her that she could do a lot more,” he said. “She doesn’t know truly how powerful she is and what magnitude. She can change the industry.

She has ideas, concepts and a different perspective... It’s all on her.”

To find out more about Sculpting Goddess, visit Sculptinggoddess.com.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

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COVER STORY

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019

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Despite Challenges, Opa-locka’s Mayor Believes City’s Future Is as Bright as Its History

By Isheka N. Harrison

Opa-locka Mayor Matthew Pigatt greets a resident at a city bus stop near city hall.

Ask residents what they think of the City of Opa-locka and some describe it as a small city plagued by years of corrupt leadership, topping the nation’s “worst of” lists.

What they may not know is the city boasts a rich cultural history and has the potential to be one of South Florida’s biggest comeback stories.

Originally named Opa-tisha-wockalocka, after a Seminole saying which means “the land which rose above the swamp,” Opa-locka was founded in 1926 by aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss.

Modeled after the Middle Eastern folktales “One Thousand and One Nights’” theme, the city has over 20 buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places and boasts the largest concentration of Moorish Revival architecture in the Western Hemisphere.

According to newly-elected 32-year-old Mayor Matthew Pigatt – who made history by becoming the youngest elected official in South Florida when he was elected to Opalocka’s commission in 2016 – these facts

alone make the city’s origins special.

“I love to say this city was founded by the man who gave America its wings to fly,” Pigatt said. “The Seminoles were undefeated. They were a concentration of self-liberated Africans, some people say runaway slaves, and Native Americans who were escaping colonialism. So, it was a hodgepodge of all these different groups that came together and gave America its longest, bloodiest, costliest war and they were never conquered. So the name Opa-locka speaks to the pride of the Seminoles.”

The city is also known for making history at the Miami-Opa-locka Executive Airport. That’s where Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, took her last flight from, and where Black pilot Barrington Irving Jr., the youngest to fly solo around the world in 2007, departed for a history-making flight.

Pigatt, however, doesn’t believe Opa-locka’s glory days are solely behind the city. Four of the city’s five newly-

elected commissioners are freshmen politicians. This marks a paradigm shift for Opa-locka’s residents, Pigatt said.

“Opa-locka, literally, for decades, has been like a revolving door with the same leaders coming in and out of Opalocka politics and that has brought the city to where it is right now,” said Pigatt.

“So for the people of Opa-locka to elect new leadership signals that the people are ready for change and are willing to change … and they started by clearing out the top. It is our opportunity now to really revitalize this city with new ideas and new leadership.”

Pigatt admits Opa-locka is currently at its lowest point. The city is under an FBI investigation. It’s now millions of dollars in debt. It’s a facing a class action law suit. The infrastructure is crumbling, including deplorable roads and streets flooded with raw sewage.

Almost all the city’s water meters don’t work. What’s more, Opa-locka has been named the most dangerous city in Florida, based on stats from 20102014. And it’s listed as the third most dangerous city in the country.

Nonetheless, Pigatt maintains his administration is working hard to address these challenges. Despite its current condition, he suggests Opa-locka is a diamond in the rough that investors and entrepreneurs should take advantage of before the city sees a boom.

“This is our community and it is a diamond that we’re not looking at as a diamond and other communities are and they’re stepping up,” said Pigatt.

“Opa-locka is literally at the belly button of South Florida. … People have seen this. Amazon invested almost a quarter billion dollars [in Opa-locka]. There’s so much potential.”

Pigatt heralds the city as a transportation and industrial hub with some of the most affordable residential and commercial properties in MiamiDade County. As a result, he says property values have risen almost 25-percent each year.

A product of Miami-Dade, Pigatt says it is a privilege to live, work and

Opa-locka Mayor Matthew Pigatt watches as city workers remove tons of debris from stormwater drains for the first time in 5 years. Pigatt said backed-up drains had been the reason streets quickly flood during heavy rains. serve in Opa-locka. He credits his mother, community, the 100 Black Men of South Florida and Morehouse College for teaching him to be “a candle in the dark.”

“It meant a lot for me to buy my house in a Black community because we talk about being part of this change, the change and developing our community,” said Pigatt. “But at the very basic level you have to invest and live in the community. It’s very difficult to live outside the community and try and navigate back home to volunteer and make change in this American capitalistic working environment where we have to work to eat and live.”

The authenticity of Pigatt’s passion for change and commitment to elevating others is evident in the fact that he is only paid $550 per month to serve as Opa-locka’s mayor. He acknowledges that’s a difficult personal sacrifice, but he says the ultimate goal of revitalizing his city is priceless.

“You have to put in the work and address the needs of the people,” said Pigatt. “My time as mayor is to make sure we live good in the community. It is an amazing place to invest in and live in and we just need to recognize the value of our own communities and step up and increase that value and be valuable to our communities.”

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THE STORY OF A DREAM. PASS IT ON.

Miami Gardens (full page) In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we remember to continue the legacy of those who stood for something.

Learn more at aarp.org/blackcommunity.

Opportunity Changes Everything Miami Dade College commemorates Black History Month by celebrating esteemed alumni who continue to inspire future generations.

I AM MDC

mdc.edu • 305-237-8888

Audrey M. Edmonson

Chairwoman Miami-Dade County Commission

Geden Franck, M.D., M.S. Sports Medicine Fellow University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute

Lorneka Joseph, RPH Pharmacist Walgreens

Lloyd Knight

Principal Dancer Martha Graham Dance Company

Tarell Alvin McCraney

Playwright, Oscar winner for Moonlight

Largest degree-granting institution in the country | more than 300 academic pathways, associate and bachelor’s degrees, career certificates | 8 campuses

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Planning Social Media Content will Yield a Positive Return on Investment

By Tracy Timberlake Content marketing isn’t going anywhere.

If anything, it will continue to grow, especially in a world of constant social media shifts and technological changes.

More and more businesses are realizing

Or, they post content because they know they have to, but not because they have an end game strategy in place. This is why so many can find social media marketing ineffective and tedious.

A successful strategy does take time, but if you want to see results here is how:

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Send A Child to AileyCamp Miami.

1.

Take time out to plan your editorial content for the entire year. Take a look at your calendar and plot your highs and lows, what initiatives you want to highlight, holidays you want to leverage, etc. When you know what dates and times are most important it gives you an idea of what needs to be created.

Dr. Tracy Timberlake, Digital Strategist

that going social isn’t just the “in” thing to do. Taking a look at 2018 stats, it is evident that there is a very real and a very significant Return On Investment for long-term brand content strategy.

Statista.com reports that content marketing revenue will exceed $300 billion in 2019.

The Content Marketing Institute and a Marketing Profs report that 82 percent of B2C believe that content strategy is a critical part of the marketing process.

Kapost reports that content is four times more effective at generating leads in the online space than paid advertising.

If statistics don’t spur you to believe in the importance of content marketing, what will?

When auditing client’s social strategies, one of the main problems I find is their lack of content planning. They tend to be more reactive – meaning they create content initiatives based on competitor inspiration vs. being proactive and being leaders in their industry.

2.

Use free tools like Google Keywords and Google Trends to see what is being created in your industry. It will help you see what is on the upswing and downswing regarding trends and development in your industry.

3.

Share your plan with your team.

This should be a collaborative effort. Part of creating an effective strategy is creating a pipeline of content and a workflow that works for your organization. Encourage your team to get involved and think creatively about what content can get your message across.

4.

Automate when possible. Schedule specific times each month using tools like Hootesuite for Business. I recommend being at least one month ahead of schedule when possible.

5.

Assess quarterly and adjust accordingly. Don’t wait until November to evaluate. Make regular checkups and course correct when needed.

Yes, it does sound like a lot of work, but you will see and feel the difference.

While it does take is time to get your systems up and running, but in the end it makes your content more efficient and will allow you to measure your ROI.

For 10 years, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County has invited 100 children each year to attend this free 6-week summer camp.

AileyCamp Miami transforms lives and inspires Miami youth to envision a bright future.

Applications are now available for Summer 2019.

arshtcenter.org/aileycamp Photo by Justin Namon, ra-haus

pamm.org/artsoul6

presented by The Batchelor Foundation

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LEGACY BRIEFS

DeWayne Terry Promoted to Law Firm Partner DeWayne Terry has been promoted to Partner at Rubenstein Law. He has tried over 100 cases and is considered by his peers as a premier trial attorney. Terry began his legal career in Miami–Dade County as an Assistant State Attorney under the leadership of the Honorable Katherine Fernandez Rundle. He continued his public service as Assistant Staff Counsel for the Florida Bar’s Miami Office and later worked in the civil, criminal and family law divisions, earning a distinguished reputation as a skilled trial attorney in the South Florida legal community. In 2010, Terry joined Rubenstein Law where he lead the firm’s Personal Injury Protection Litigation Division. Terry is affiliated with the Miramar Optimist Club as a youth football Coach, the Sigma Alpha chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and Offspring Masonic Lodge #252. Terry is a member of Greater St. Paul AME Church in Coconut Grove.

Broward Education Foundation Names New Board Officer The Broward Education Foundation Board of Directors has announced a slate of new officers, including Secretary Ruth Lynch, director of grassroots advocacy of Florida Consortium of Public

By Legacy Staff

Charter Schools and Director of Public Relations of Charter Schools of Excellence.

Each year, the Broward Education Foundation contributes more than $3 million to Broward County schools, serving as a catalyst for educational excellence. Most recently, the foundation initiated a GoFundMe account and raised $10.5 million for victims’ families, survivors and those impacted by the Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy.

MDC Hires Dr. Alexia Q. Rolle After serving more than 15 years with Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), Dr. Alexia Q. Rolle has accepted a position at Miami Dade College (MDC) as Director under Academic Schools. While employed with M-DCPS, Rolle served in several positions, including Department Chairperson of Student Services, School Counselor and Academic Advisor for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Rolle’s position as Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE/Workforce) at Miami Dade College, is centered at MDC’s District level, overseeing nine campuses across Miami Dade County.

Miami Dolphins Promote Chris Grier The Miami Dolphins have promoted Chris Grier to general manager in charge of football operations. This is first time an African-American has held that title in Dolphins history. Grier will be the only minority general manager in the NFL next season.

Spread the Vote Hires Matthew Tisdol as State Director Spread the Vote, a national organization aimed at helping potential voters receive government-issued IDs, has named Matthew Tisdol as its new state director in Florida.

Tisdol previously worked as the testing and investigation coordinator for the Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence, a non-profit aimed at helping people process housing discrimination claims.

“As state director here in Florida, my mission will be to continue and expand on the work that has been done to ensure that Floridians across the state get the IDs they need to not only participate in our democracy but have access to more opportunity,” said Tisdol.

Spread The Vote currently has local chapters in South Florida, Palm Beach, Tampa, Central Florida, Northeast Florida, Tallahassee and Northwest Florida. Tisdol said he hopes to grow the group’s influence across the state.

Garrick Amos Wins Top NBA Award

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2019 Garrick Amos, Vice President of Season Ticket Memberships and General Manager for the Miami Heat and AmericanAirlines Arena (AAA), has been awarded the Pete Winemiller Guest Experience Innovation Award by the NBA. This award is inspired by the late Pete Winemiller, senior vice president of guest relations for the Oklahoma City Thunder and honors an individual who has created an innovative service experience for fans. Through Amos’ leadership, the Heat has achieved more than 85 percent season ticket retention. For the past 10 years, Amos has created a world class service experience for Heat fans and arena guests. Amos has also led the team’s relationship with the Disney Institute to transform AAA through the league’s ELEVATE program. The ELEVATE program is an NBA initiative designed to improve the customer experience by striving for excellence at every level of the business.

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JOIN AILEY’S 60 TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

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Are you a new hire at a South Florida company? Does your firm have a major announcement to make? Let us know by sharing your good news in Legacy Briefs. Send a press release and your professional headshot to rm@miamediagrp.com.

NEW BOOK HIGHLIGHTS HISTORICAL IMPACT OF ‘THE MIAMI TIMES’ released by Lexington Books, illuminates the civil rights activism of the newspaper by highlighting its role in the Rice v Arnold legal campaign to abolish the public golf course’s “Monday-only” policy imposed on black golfers.

Founded in 1923 by Bahamianborn H.E.S. Reeves, the newspaper financially and editorially supported efforts to desegregate Miami schools, beaches, residential communities, public transportation systems and sports complexes.

Its support of the legal challenge is but one example that demonstrates how the newspaper, as a conduit of social change, worked with other Miami community

leaders to improve conditions for the city’s black population.

“The study helps inject this iconic newspaper into the historical narrative of the Civil Rights Movement in Florida,” said author Yanela G. McLeod, Ph.d., whose academic research focuses on the Black Press in Florida.

“The book demonstrates the value and far reaching impact of the Black Press, an institution that has historically championed the rights of African Americans at the grassroots level.”

McLeod, who spent her early career as senior reporter and associate editor for the Capital Outlook, a black newspaper in Tallahassee, is currently an

adjunct history professor and director of communications and alumni relations for the Florida A&M University College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities.

She has worked as an assistant professor of both history and journalism during her 15 years at FAMU. McLeod said she is ecstatic the book was released in time to share as an early birthday present to Garth C. Reeves, who will turn 100 on February 12.

“The Reeves family has dedicated their lives to relieving the plight of Miami’s black population,” she shared.

“They deserve to have the newspaper’s legacy preserved in its rightful place in American history.”

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Samantha Figgins and Jeroboam Bozeman. Photo by Andrew Eccles

In 1948, a group of black recreational golfers confronted management of the Miami Springs golf course, demanding Yanela McLeod an end to the segregationist policy that restricted Black patrons to playing the public greens only one day a week. Among the fearless objectors was Garth C. Reeves, Sr., then managing editor of the Miami Times.

A new book, The Miami Times and the Fight for Equality: Race, Sport, and the Black Press, 1948–1958, recently

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