Family Ties

The older I get, the more I value my "blood ties".

Much as I am ashamed to admit it, as a teenager I shunned my family. I felt disconnected and wanted nothing more than to escape. My mother gave birth to me at a very young age and it shaped my views on the world around me- and not always in a positive way. I wasn't starving in the streets or anything like that. But I didn't have a Cosby type of childhood and I can't help but feel that if it wasn't for my grandparents my life would be the polar opposite of what it is now. I don't want to delve into details- but let's just say that teen parenthood, drugs and a short lifespan are just a few things that were at the end of the path that I would have been on had it not been for Miss Estelle and Mr. Cliff.

Fastforward to 2008. My grandfather is laying in a hospital bed fighting for his life. I am struggling to keep my sanity as the only real father figure I ever had withers away in front of my eyes. My kid sister who I vowed never to speak to again exactly two years ago has popped back up in our lives and the jury is still out on whether or not she can be trusted. My first cousin who has always been the shining white knight of the family has major chinks in his armor that is showing signs of rust. My fiancee doesn't have the luxury of a smooth, gradual transition into meeting my maternal family. He is thrust into face first- with all the drama, all the jockeying for power, all the animosity, the grudges- the EVERYTHING. The fact that he still wants my hand in marriage after that introduction into my family is... a miracle.

Yet through it all, I realize that family is the most important thing in the world to any of us. Instead of envying others it's dawning on me that it could be a lot worse. Though my mother would have never won any Mom of the Year awards- she didn't Caylee me and cut my life short before it even started. She did her best and I'm here. I am a good mother, a good fiancee and future wife. A fair and competent boss. A PHENOMENAL friend- even to those who don't deserve it. A spiritual woman who loves The Lord and doesn't let a day go by without connecting with Him in my own way. A wonderful though controlling family member to my relatives (I'm working on it). A solid, law abiding citizen when so many are out here getting theirs by any means necessary. Ok, I speed and break traffic laws but I don't litter, do drugs or steal. I volunteer on a regular basis, give to charity, vote, serve my jury duty, pay my taxes and haven't killed anyone. Yet.

So as 2008 comes to a close I want to thank my mother and father for making me. I want to thank my grandparents for raising me into a strong woman of color. I want to thank my neighbors and family for molding me and giving me character. Thanks to all my friends who offered a shoulder when I cried and a gave wake up calls when I wallowed in self pity. I hope 2009 finds my grandfather in much better health if it's in God's good graces and I vow to continue to work on self so that I become a better person not only for myself but for those around me- especially to the man that I will marry in less than 9 months.

Fork In The Road

A few months ago I watched a horrible straight to dvd movie with my fiancee called "Fork In The Road". It was produced by a Jamaican company and apparently gets a lot of love back in NY and in Jamaica. As a budding filmmaker I give props to anyone with the guts to get their work out there on the small or silver screens. But come on now. All I have to say is watch it. You'll be disappointed, but hey. It's cold out. You don't have anything else to do.

I digress. I feel like I'm at a crossroads in my life. After all the changes that came about in my life in 2007 I feel that 2009 needs to usher in even more CHANGE. Just call me Obama Girl out this bitch because it's gotta get better. I won't say it can't get any worse but GOD please give your child a break.

I know that with every life challenge I become stronger. I am a better person because of all the struggles I've been through. Like my cousin said on my wedding website. I'm a pearl. You have to get through the tough exterior to reach the beautiful jewel inside. It's deep down there somewhere. Not everyone can gain access though.

With that being said I know that I need to close some chapters in my life. Many people are taking up space in the prime real estate that is the pre-war Upper East Side condo called MY LIFE. Those people will soon come to find that I won't even entertain the them and all their petty BS anymore. Unless they've been fighting in Iraq, fighting for their life in a hospital or just plain fighting with themselves, everyone in my life knows that I have been through some MAJOR ish over the past month or so. Those who were there for me, thank you. I love you all very much and the blessings that I know God will rain on me in 09 will be yours as well. For those of you too caught up in your own melodramas to even notice that your girl was HURTING and that it took a lot for her to even reach out to you because she doesn't like to show chinks in her armor... You will find yourself on the other side of the locked door to my pre-war condo. Simply put, it's not all about you. And if you feel I'm talking about you, then I probably am.

I hit the road tomorrow, but I promise I will update more. My exploits in Miami are becoming legendary and I want to share. If nothing else this blog will be cathartic to me as I relieve some weight off my shoulders.

Til next time people. I know I lost many of you along the way because I suck I keeping this blog updated but again I'm working on it. :)

Praise God!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!

7 Long Hours In The Pouring Rain...

^^^^
That's my ballot up above. Aint it grand? :)

I voted early today in Miami Gardens. I got there a little before 11 AM thinking I would beat the crowds by arriving two hours before the polls opened. WRONG. The line was already wrapped around the block twice. In the end it took me exactly seven hours to vote. But boy was it worth it. Now I can kick back on election day with my fiancee and watch the pundits go crazy.

Some crazy things that happened today:

1) A puerto rican family set up shop to sell t-shirts to voters standing in line. But at $30 a pop no one was buying.

2) Poll workers started handing out tickets to make sure that people who stood in line for hours would still have a chance to vote, even though the poll was supposed to close at five.

3) A fender bender took place right before my eyes because some dude thought he could stop in a six lane street to drop his wife off at the curb. Even though it was his fault he wanted to call the police because he was bumped from behind. There was no damage to either vehicle so the guy who hit him pulled off. When he tried to elicit pity from us in the crowd we shamed him so bad that he pulled off without calling the cops. LOL.

4) One of the few white voters out there tried to skip the line and got ratted out and kicked to the back of the line.

5) McCain had his shyster lawyers out in force trying to disenfranchise voters but we weren't having none of that!

Not the blazing Miami sun, nor pouring rain, nor long lines, nor snake in the grass lawyers could deter the thousands who poured out today no doubt in support of Obama. I could have voted in Aventura but I wanted to be amongst my people and I have to say I was very proud and moved to tears at the amount of people who came out today. Yes we most certainly can!

Team Obama

I really hope Obama wins this election. I know the word CHANGE has been run into the ground over the last few months but that's exactly what we need.

But remember my fellow Floridians, we're not just voting for the highest and second highest offices in the land. There are a number of amendments and county issues on the ticket that need our careful consideration.

I've been doing some research and I found these two sites. Check them out and make an informed decision on Nov 4th!

http://www.kendrickmeek.com/Meek2008SlateDade_forweb.pdf

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-1024amendments.explained,0,7879718.story

Consider This..

Here's an interesting persp ective on Obama/Biden vs McCain/Palin. What if things were switched around?...ponder the following:

What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?

What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severely disfiguring car accident ? What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married? What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to painkillers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker? What if Obama had trouble reading from a TelePrompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes? What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?

What if the Obamas had adopted a white child?

You could easily add to this list.

Would the election poll numbers be as close as they are? This is
what racism does. It distorts, rationalizes, and
minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes
negative qualities in another when there is a color
difference.

Educational Background:

Barack Obama: Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations. Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude.

Joseph Biden: University of Delaware -B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science. Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

John McCain: United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899.

Sarah Palin: Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester North of Idaho - 2 semesters - Journalism. Matanuska-Susitna College- 1 semester University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism.

Education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing in the world. You make the call.

Miserable Miami Memorial Monday

Try saying that three times fast.

Miserable Miami Memorial Monday/Miserable Miami Memorial Monday/Miserable Miami Memorial Monday.

One of the things that I've pledged NOT to do is to continually bash Miami like it's the worst place on earth. No one wants to read a blog full of moaning and groaning about how much better XYZ city is than MIA. Yes, it's a culture shock. No, people aren't as friendly and welcoming as they are in other cities. Yes, the sense of style is non existent. But Miami has many great things to offer which is why I moved here in the first place. It's also why I stay when there are jobs a' plenty back home if I ever want to gracefully bow out. I'm staying. For now.

But I must say, this past weekend makes me grateful that I will not be here for the next summer holiday- July 4th. The sheer ghetto, ignorant, just out right ridiculous crowd that descended upon Miami this past weekend was embarrassing. Shootings, rapes, macings, fights- you name it. It's no wonder most South Beach businesses close up shop for Memorial weekend and don't even bother. They won't make any money any way. 99% of the tourists don't patronize any of the local shops, so no money cycles into the economy. Why bring money when you can stand in front of the business, blocking customers who would actually spend a few dollars? While stopping the flow of much needed revenue, make sure to sexually harass every scantily clad female that walks by. Now THAT'S a party.

I'll end this post right here. I don't want to exert any more energy into rehashing Memorial weekend. Hopefully July 4th will be better.

Great Escape #3: Las Olas

A mere 30 minute drive from the upscale pulse of South Beach lies Las Olas Boulevard, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Those of you who want to get away from the oftentimes pretentious vibe of Ocean Drive can mosey on over to Las Olas and have a more gritty, seedy, but fun night filled with dance, cheaper drinks, and a more down to earth environment.

Las Olas reminds me of New Orleans, a city known for it's sizzling hot night life with an undercurrent of danger that can spring out at any moment. Upon entering Las Olas on a Saturday night we were immediately challenged to a fist fight and a drag race by drunken patrons who were too wasted to a) know what they were doing and b) follow through on their threats. After searching for parking for 20 minutes we strutted our stuff down the Boulevard and witnessed a huge melee by a group of drunk college boys. The scuffle was quickly broken up by a pack of police officers and who were a few feet away. That's the main difference between Las Olas and the N.O. The cops are just a devils breath away, waiting to slap a pair of handcuffs on you if you get too out of pocket.

It only cost ten bucks to enter the The Palace nightclub, which was dark, hot and had an even darker and hotter dance floor. The djs were from NYC which meant they knew how to blend their sounds to entice everyone to get loose on the floor. They played hip hop, both old and new school, and Caribbean music, both old and new. I teetered around in 5 inch stiletto heels and gave it my best, but after a while I kicked off my shoes and danced all night barefoot. I couldn't help it. Las Olas is not a place for the wallflower, prissy, poseur crowd. If you go to Las Olas come prepared to get down!

There was a raffle towards the end of the night and my fiancee won! To my surprise, the prizes were pretty nice. We won two 14k gold pieces of jewelry from Macy's, with the gift receipts attached so we can return them. I plan on keeping them though, because they are really nice and would look great with a little black dress, which is what I plan on wearing tonight when I party at my new buddy Darius' graduation party at Crazy Horse...

Been Gone For A Minute...

Now I'm BACK with the jump off... :)

I've been seriously slacking on my blogging as of late, and I apologize. I've been super busy in my off-line life. What could possibly keep me away from writing about my Miami escapades, you ask? Well there is the small fact that I am getting married! Yes, oh yes, oh yes! My fiancee popped the question on Wednesday March 26, 2008 and I said yes! So I've been a busy little bee preparing for our big day. Of course this blog will double as a chronicle of my MIA exploits and wedding planning. So stay tuned because the best is yet to come!

In the meantime, check out this clip of the Queen of Blue Eyed Soul, Taylor Dayne rip it at Miami's Jazz on the Bay. So you can't say I left you hanging for a 30days+ and didn't bring you back anything. :)



Shout outs to SoHood305 and BriaMia for the e-mails. I promise to update at least once a week from here on out.

No Planes or Trains- Just Automobiles

As a New Yorker I must say I am disappointed in the public transportation Miami has to offer. Since trains and buses aren't really an option South Floridians take to the highways by the thousands each day to move at a snails pace and burn $3.40 per gallon for the privilege. Suffice to say, something must be done. I remember sitting in rush hour traffic for well over an hour to get from North Miami to the airport and longing for the easy, accessible, cheap, no-brainer transit system back home. No, it's not the cleanest in the world but it gets the job done. I would rather deal with an unpleasant smell every now and then, rather than sit in traffic for hours at a time with nothing but a dwindling gas tank to keep me company.

Speaking of which, why are there so many construction projects spread all over Miami? They only serve to make the traffic situation worse. Biscayne Blvd. becomes a nightmare after 96th Street. If you try cutting down any of those side streets you will run into construction site after construction site after construction site. Why would the City of Miami plan projects all around the same time in the same area, thus voiding Biscayne (AKA US-1, I-95s predecessor) as an alternative to the parking lot known as I-95? It bears mentioning that I have driven down I-95 in almost every state on the Eastern Seaboard and NO STRETCH of this interstate is as bad as it is in South Florida. Why is that?

I wonder if the meeting Miami-Dade Transit is having on Tuesday will make a difference. I can't go because I have a Hands On Miami meeting that I must attend. But I wish I could be there to voice my frustrations about the situation. If the trains ran up here in North Miami I would park and ride every day. Here's hoping something happens soon because this whole traffic thing makes me want to leave Miami on the first thing smoking. Obviously it would have to be Amtrak since who knows where the Miami trains are?

Please read the press release about the meeting below, and attend if you can. Let your voices be heard!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Tuesday, March 25, 2008 Miami-Dade County Transit will hold will hold a public meeting to present the current status of the Orange Line – Phase 1: Miami Intermodal Center (MIC)/Earlington Heights Connector Metrorail extension project and to discuss activities projected for the next phase.

The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 with an Open House at 6 p.m. and a Presentation at 7 p.m. at Miami-Dade Transit’s Sheila Winitzer Central Administration Building Auditorium, 3300 NW 32nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33142.

The 2.4-mile MIC/Earlington Heights Connector Metrorail extension will run from the existing Earlington Heights Metrorail station to the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC) adjacent to Miami International Airport (MIA) and includes a new Metrorail station and bus terminal plaza. Direct access between the MIC Metrorail station and the airport will be provided by an automated people mover operated by MIA.

For additional information on Metrorail’s Airport Extension, please call 786-469-5550 or email mdtoutreach@miamidade.gov.

Yes. We. Can.

True Grit

I know I'm super late on this topic but like my grandma always says "Better late than never". As more news floods the national airwaves I find that I can do nothing but shake my damn head at the shenanigans and goings on in New York State.

Elliot Spitzer. Where do I begin? You made your career on the backs of others failures and shortcomings- perceived or otherwise. You attacked the hip hop industry with a fervor and vengeance that gave even the brashest, loudest mouthed in the black and brown music community pause.

In a nutshell, you acted like your crap didn't stink. But something else my wise old grandma always says is that "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." Well you threw bricks and they turned to boomerangs and came back to shatter your house into nothingness.

How can a man call himself ethical, just, and fair when he can't even keep his commitment to those who mean the most to him in this world? And if he can so easily cast his family to the side how quickly would he have tossed the best interest of the good people of New York State to the wayside?

I hope every second of pleasure you garnered from your seedy romps were worth the money spent. Because if you add up the price tag of your rendezvous that is what your family and the people you swore and oath to were worth to you. Was it half a million? A million solid? Whatever the price I can guarantee your face and place as a lecherous, immoral, unethical two faced hypocrite is printed on page 4080 in the history books.

New York has been through enough turmoil to outlast all of our lifetimes combined. Thanks for giving outsiders yet another reason to examine us under a microscope to look for grime and grit.

Great Escape #2: MRI's & Nerve Conduction Exams

Thursday had to be singularly the worst day of my life.

Ok, I'm exaggerating. But you all get the point. Out of the 100 worst days of my life that I have had in my 30+ years Thursday March 13, 2008 ranks in the top 25. Yes, it was that bad.

I was in a car accident late last October that resulted in the total loss of my brand new car with less than 5000 miles on it, and of course, injuries to my body. The other guy went through his windshield but lived. It was one of those accidents that could have ended in death but thankfully all lives were spared. There was just a ton of money lost on my end since the guy was uninsured and I didn't have uninsured motorists insurance. Anything not covered by my basic insurance came out of my pocket.

So after going through the ringer with my former auto insurance company for months on who would pay for the MRIs I finally just went through my health insurance to have them foot the bill. I had been in pain needlessly for months. It was time for me to get some answers and treatment so that I wouldn't be hurting in my joints and muscles every time the temperature dropped past 60 degrees.

Yesterday I had MRIs of my neck and shoulder.

I am claustrophobic.

The machine was very narrow.

Because they had to get accurate pictures of my neck they locked me into a face brace type of contraption that severely limited my range of movement.

I felt like I was in a coffin.

I had to be blindfolded in order to tolerate the suffocating feeling of being buried alive.

But the fun didn't stop there.

After at least an hour in that tomb-like, loud, beeping, grinding contraption the technician rolled me out, stuck a needle with dye into my arm and pushed me back in for another 15 minutes of torture.

It was one of the most horrific feelings I have ever felt in my life.

I do not know how I got through it.

But now that it's over, I know that I will never put myself through it again.

Never.

Later that day I had nerve conduction tests at my neurologists office to see how my nerves respond to stimulus.


I was marked with pens, measured, taped down and shocked with volts of electricity through various points across my body.

After it was all over

I went to do my taxes.

Yes, my taxes.

Federal and State since I lived in NY for half of 2007.

Simply put

Worst day EVER.

My Day At The Historic Re-Opening of Virginia Key Beach (Part 3)

Without further adieu here is the third and final part to my story about the day I volunteered at the re-opening of VKBP. You can read parts 1 and 2 in the archives.

My girls and I walked across the park. I was amazed at how big the park really is. It's huge and in my humble opinion it is going to take a lot of man hours on upkeep. That is probably why the VKBP Trust is asking for volunteers to make a commitment to help out for at least five hours on a monthly basis. If you live in the South Florida area and would like to be a part of something historic and truly rewarding please click the link that will follow this post in order to be taken to the VKBP website. You may sign up or request more information there.

Where was I? Oh yes. We walked across the huge park, being stopped every few minutes by park patrons who thought volunteer meant hauling trash cans over to their picnic area. We kindly told them that we were actually headed for an assignment but that they could head back over to the Trust building and make a request. We finally made it over to the V.I.P. tent. It was decked out beautifully and looked very chic. My two girls were quickly brisked away to the back of the tent to help out with the food. I, along with a young man whose name escapes me were stationed at the front of the tent to make sure that anyone trying to gain access to the V.I.P. area had a yellow wristband. And here is where the story goes south.

I come from N.Y., as you all should know by now. Maybe the meaning of V.I.P. is lost on some South Floridians. But in every state in the union V.I.P. stands for Very Important Person. Which means that you have done something, or paid some sum of money, or know someone and because of that you are in an area that is designated as nicer with more perks. It does not mean that you can stroll by, peek in and see wine and delicacy consumption, couches, lighting, etc and think, you can just mosey right on in.

To make a very long story short there was a serious misunderstanding between performers and those running the V.I.P tent. Every performer and member of the performers entourage were told they could come over to the tent after getting off the stage to eat, drink and mingle. That was not communicated to the people in charge of the tent. So when performers including singers, rappers, local djs etc would come to the tent and try to gain access we would tell them they couldn't come in because they didn't have the yellow wristband that must adorn the wrist of every V.I.P member. The people of course threw fits with the expected "Do you know who I am?" spiel. To which we had to call for two of the women who were vouching for people who could bypass us "bouncers" without the wristband.

I try to always exude class and behave like a lady in social settings. But once in a while people can push you to the limit. For the most part everyone was cool, respectful and friendly. But of course you always have the one or two who get what I like to call "extra". It's at those moments where you have to check a man/woman who thinks that a uniform, or in this case a yellow t-shirt means you are there to be talked down to, walked on and/or humiliated.

A few people found themselves on the receiving end of a breakdown. One of which was a member of a performer's entourage who will remain nameless. He was told by organizers that after the performer he was with exited the stage they could all come and eat. They had an entire clique with them including family. Said entourage member came directly up to me though there were two volunteers working the front of the tent at this point. He was full of bravado and bluster, but basically attempted to flip on me because one of his relatives was turned away at the door. I guess he is used to speaking to women in that manner in his usual interactions with them. Unfortunately for him I am not one of those women. I quickly nipped the situation in the bud and let him know a few things. One, that I wasn't the one who turned his relative away. He replied that he wasn't coming off on me, but he was frustrated. I told him to direct his frustrations elsewhere, and to take it down a volume. He rolled his eyes and asked me if I knew who he was. He stated he was in the entourage of a local rapper who again, will remain nameless.

South Floridians reading this blog will think I'm elitist and arrogant. They will take this as validation that all New Yorkers are this way. And maybe we are. But you all must understand. We are just used to moving through life faster and we have little time for b.s. After I told old boy that I was from New York where the real rappers are from and that unless he was exiting the stage with Biggie, Jay Z or Nas he really should come back to the world, he humbled out. He apologized for the disrespect. I guess he realized that wilin' out over a misunderstanding when you are a nobody in the clique of a still a nobody was very uncalled for. I saw him chilling in the tent throughout the night and he was very cool and down to earth after our disagreement. Sometimes it just takes a reality check for people to get their wits about them.

Needless to say this whole wristband thing caused a lot of unnecessary confusion. I think that performers at these types of events need to state how many people they are bringing so that organizers know in advance. Or they need their very own tent. It's that simple. I hate disorganization and the whole V.I.P. situation was all over the place. They definitely need to clean that up before the next big event.

The great thing that came out of working the tent that night was that I met one of the coolest sistas in Miami. She actually works in the same industry as I do and she's very well known in South Florida. We've been e-mailing each other back and forth since the event and have planned to hang out in the future. In fact we're meeting up tomorrow at a function in Coral Gables. I hope that as I come out of my shell I link up with many more accomplished women here. I really want to start building a network here that rivals the one I had back home.

One last tidbit- Jeffrey Osborne was the headlining performer and I didn't get to see one second of his performance because I was working. But I heard the performance and that man still has a set of pipes on him! I'm going to pick up one of his compilation cd's after hearing the great show that he put on.

Well that about sums up how my day went at VKBP. I'll be volunteering there again soon for beach clean up. I'll put up some pictures in my photobucket account for you guys to check out. Here is the VKBP link for the website if you guys want to sign up. Maybe I'll see you at the next event...

http://www.virginiakeybeachpark.net/volunteers.asp

Great Escape #1: Whipping Post In Paradise

Welcome to your first Taste of a Great Escape! These quick blurbs will let my readers know something about my life experience that I hope will shed a little light on the enigma that is moi.

I don't I have a lot of readers yet (I hope to change that soon, so please pass the word along to your friends, enemies, friendemies, relatives, co-workers, loved ones, neighbors, hairdressers, nail techs, gardeners, dermatologists, personal trainers etc). But the few readers I do have so far (thank you!!!) have asked me about the red pole that is in my profile picture.


The "pole" is actually a whipping post. It is located at the Fort in Christiansted, which is in Saint Croix, which is in the United States Virgin Islands. One of my best friends in the whole wide world is from the beautiful island of Saint Croix. During one of my two trips to STX I was mesmerized by the beauty, lush vegetation, white sandy beaches and cornflower blue skies that are the islands main attractions. On the flip side I was horrified by the Fort. The evidence of the inhumane treatment of the slaves at the Fort was a stark contrast to the clear waters breaking against the perfect shore and the cotton candy clouds floating overhead on balmy tropical breezes. One thought kept pulsing through my mind- TERRIBLE BEAUTY.

Slavery wasn't just an American thing. Anywhere there were black and brown people in the "free world" there was also oppression and enslavement. I still feel claustrophobia when I think about the hot cinder box square that was used as a jail cell for hundreds of slaves. I am only 5 feet 5 inches tall and I had trouble standing up straight in the cell.

Even against a backdrop of an island dream horrific events can take place. That is why the whipping post is my profile picture. It is a reminder to me, and those who read my blog that all that glitters aint gold.

My Day At The Historic Re-Opening of Virginia Key Beach (Part 2)

Part 1 to this story is here: http://escapeconcretejungles.blogspot.com/2008/02/my-day-at-historic-re-opening-of.html

I'm not a morning person. I will never be "chipper" with or without coffee. Monday-Friday I have to be at the office by 8 a.m. sharp. So it goes without saying that on Saturday's I like to sleep in- the later the better.

So when I signed up my two girls and I to volunteer at the re-opening of VKBP I took solace in the fact that I wouldn't have to get there until 11:30 a.m. That would mean at least three extra hours of sleep for me. Unfortunately I stayed up until 4 or 5 a.m. that morning so when my alarm rang out I kept hitting the snooze. Somewhere deep down in dreamland I knew I had to get up- I just couldn't bring myself to get out of bed. After one of the kids dragged me kicking and screaming into the bathroom to get ready I finally became coherent enough to pull myself together and get on the road.

The directions provided to us by Quentin, the volunteer coordinator were great. One of the things that annoys me to no end are people who give bad directions and get you lost in the source, burning gas and precious minutes/hours that you can never get back. But I digress. After a long journey down to the end of I-95 and across a long bridge we arrived to our destination unscathed at 11:40 a.m. Parking was a breeze at this point because the "official" kick-off wasn't until around 1 p.m.

The one thing that kind of rattled me at first was how hot it was that Saturday. It had been cold all throughout the week so I didn't expect the heat to come back full throttle so soon. Worse, the t-shirts they gave us to wear were bright yellow. I could see huge bumble bees and wasps buzzing around the park and I was concerned one of us would get stung at some point during the day. I'm allergic to stings, but decided to play it by ear and hope for the best.


After a somewhat disorganized sign-in process (they should really print out a roster beforehand to avoid confusion on the day of events) the girls and I went inside the VKBP Trust building and changed into our t-shirts. Quentin asked for five volunteers to run a table for the kids. My girls and I, along with two other volunteers named Luz and Victoria were put in charge of "promotions" for the historical exhibits displayed around the park. We strategically placed the table off to the side of the children's playground, stocked up with coloring books, crayons, and paper to make oragami creations and got to work. We quickly designed some oragami boats, paper fortune tellers and drawings of our own and decorated our table with them to spark the children's interest.

We used a hook, line and sinker approach. The decorations were the hook. The line was the opportunity for them to draw and design things of their own. The sinker was that we had a paper called a passport to give to them that listed all the historical exhibits. If the kid's visited each exhibit and got the passport stamped as proof of their visit they could return the passport to us and win a prize. It was a good way to get the children to learn while having fun and enjoying the beautifully renovated park.

The experience was so incredible. My girls, especially my 14 year old loves small children so she was thrilled to help them draw and color all day. When things got slow around our area she would go into the playground and talk to parents to coax them into bringing their children over to our table to draw for us. The parent's and kid's were great for the most part. Of course there was an occasional parent who would make comments like "Saturday is for fun, not for learnin. They learnt all week. No learnin today." But hey. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.


At about 3:30 Quentin came over and scooped up Luz and Victoria because he needed help out in the parking lot directing cars. The kids and I held down the fort until our first shift ended at 4:30. Of course when a day is so blazing hot like that Saturday was the atmosphere must cool itself off. Right before we were scheduled to turn the table over to the next shift the skies opened and started pouring rain. We scrambled to pack everything up in the boxes and ran for shelter in the VKBP Trust building. Once inside we freshened up, cooled down, had a few drinks and just took a breather. I loved working with the kids but I could see the day out in the sun had drained them. I was nursing a major migraine headache myself and considered just going home. But the girls insisted they wanted to stick around for the second shift so I conceded.

Our next assignment would be to work the V.I.P. tent way across the park, over by the soundstage. All throughout the day we had been oblivious to the adult population. We heard the performances and local djs broadcasting from the soundstage but didn't focus on what was being said or what was going down. Anyone who works with children knows they command your full attention. So when we were directed to the V.I.P. section I had no idea what to expect. Let's just say I should have expected the unexpected...

From Stepford Wife to Super Woman...

As you guys may or may not know I am a Miami transplant. I’ve been here for about a year. I moved here for a new job opportunity and to get my family out of the craziness that, more often that not is New York City.

At first I moved through life here almost as if in a fog. I had on my perfect Stepford Wife smile. My clothes were flawless. The pools were aqua blue. There was no fear of being pricked by a hypodermic needle on the gorgeous Florida Beaches. Oh my gosh! My neighborhood is even more convenient than the ones in New York. You mean to tell me I have a mall complete with movie theater, tons of nail salons, every restaurant known to man, a Wal-mart AND a K-mart, my dentist/primary care/eye/gyno doctor all within a three mile radius? I was hooked. Or so I thought.

It took me a few months to realize what I was missing. Friends! Back in New York my homegirls were but a phone call, train or cab ride away. But here I had not one road dog. Not for lack of trying. I just didn’t know where to meet people. I work in a company that is 99% Hispanic/Latino. I noticed a huge difference between the Nuyoricans and Dominicans I knew from back home and the first generation, recently immigrated Columbians, Argentineans and Cubans that I work with. For starters, the Hispanics here are exclusively family oriented. Their main concern is to come in to the office, crank out the work, and see the parking lot in their rearview mirror at 5:02 p.m. because their priority is to get home to the fam.

I’m not used to that. Though I have a family at home I sometimes like to wind down before heading home. A drink after work. Perhaps a stroll down 8^th Avenue from times square. Instead of jumping on the train at 42^nd street why not walk down to 14^th street so you can have time to chat with your homeboy about the new independent flick that’s showing in the Village? Scratch that. Let’s run to Starbucks. We can get two Iced Latte’s with a shot of hazel nut flavor, cream, sugar, make it sweet. Don’t forget to add the whipped cream with a splash of caramel on top. We’ll sit by the window and ignore the people that walk by while we unload about the latest drama that’s been taking place at the office.

My co-manager told me, almost with a complacent, dead eyed look that she just grew accustomed to the fact that she will never have friends here. Her husband is all she needs. “You’ll get used to it,” she told me, and shrugged her shoulders as if to say “Accept it or go back from whence you came.”

For many months I did just that. Accepted it. My routine was:

M-F 6:00a rise from bed

M-F 7:00a leave my house to start my long, arduous commute

M-F 8:00a arrive at the office

M-F 5:00p leave the office

M-F 6:00p arrive home

M-F 6:01p get online/watch tv/talk on the phone

M-F 12:00a go to bed

Sa-Su Repeat above steps, just replace work with Clean House/Get Nails Done/Grocery Shop.

By December 2007, I had had enough. I decided to come out of the fog of discontentment an depression. I would take charge of the situation. I would get up, get out and do something. I would start volunteering. I would go online and make connections with people in the Miami area. I would strike up conversations with people out in public. Something, ANYTHING! Whatever had to be done to make the best of the situation instead of putting my tail between my legs, packing up my house and family and heading back home.

I joined Hands On Miami, (http://handsonmiami.org/) a very well organized volunteer group that mobilizes volunteers to help out in local community activities. My first volunteer function: The Grand Re-Opening of Virginia Key Beach Park. In my last post I gave you a little background information about VKBP. In my next post I’ll tell you about my day and how I FINALLY connected with a positive sista here in Miami. Stay tuned…

My Day At The Historic Re-Opening of Virginia Key Beach (Part I)

The History:

About Historic Virginia Key Beach Park

Listed on the U.S. Park Service National Register of Historic Places, the beach has a rich cultural history and played a significant role in the U.S. Civil Rights movement of South Florida. Historic Virginia Key Beach Park is a treasured living legacy of land, history and beauty, past and future. From the 1920’s to the Civil Rights era, Historic Virginia Key Beach Park was a cherished getaway, religious sacred site and social gathering haven for Miami’s Colored Community. The Virginia Key Beach Park Trust has now been entrusted to oversee the restoration and development of the parkland site. Historic Virginia Key Beach Park will offer a glimpse of the past, an appreciation for nature and hope for the futures.

In 1945, a few Miami activist staged a “Wade-In” at Baker’s Haulover Beach, an all white beach to protest the segregation of Miami beaches. The participants, who included notable community leaders, demanded that a public beach be made available to African-Americans in Miami-Dade County. The City of Miami, in compliance with the 1896 Supreme Court Case, Plessey vs. Ferguson (“Separate but Equal,”) deemed Virginia Key Beach Park on Key Biscayne as a “Colored Beach.”

Why Virginia Key Beach?

The beach was on of the last stops on the Underground Railroad. Here, Pirates ships would either transport slaves to the Bahamas, or other surrounding Caribbean islands; or recruit African-Americans into their crews, providing refuge from American slavery.

In the early 1900s Blacks boarded ferries downtown to sail to Virginia Beach, which was informally know as “Bears Cut” (The beach is actually located along Bears Cut, the channel that separates Virginia Key from Key Biscayne). During the historic period, the name of the beach was Virginia Beach as opposed to its current name, Virginia Key Beach Park.

During the WWII the United States Navy, instituting segregation policies, have trained African-American and Hispanic- American service men who were not allowed to enter the “same waters” as white soldiers.

Virginia Beach, already meaningful and cherished amongst African-Americans, unofficially became the recreational center for the African-American community. Many African-Americans traveled to the shoreline by boat for picnics, swimming, congregating and respite from the racially infused South. For many reason, Virginia Beach was a logical and natural selection for the establishment of Miami’s only “Colored Beach.”

Visit our website at www.virginiakeybeachpark.net for more information.

Web site: http://www.virginiakeybeachpark.net/index.asp

Notes from the 2/20 Miami Community Advisory Committee Meeting

The following is a recap of the CAA meeting that was held tonight in Miami. The author is Imani McKinney, a 29 year old native Miamian who is deeply concerned with the goings on of most of Miami-Dade from the inner city to the boondocks to the glitz and glam of South Beach. He is an aspiring politico who would like to see his city advance to be a true world class city instead of the banana republic that we currently are. You may contact Imani at miamidilemma08@gmail.com

Tonight, at the CAA meeting, the discussion was as follows:

Introduction as to what the Community Action Agency was about and how they would help the West Little River/Brownsville/Model City Area

The members, including known politician Roy Hardemon, who is running for state rep district 109, were up in arms saying that before the CAA could go on with further business, they needed to take care of current business instead of being, as usual for the black community, pushed to the side without having our issues heard. The current issue at hand is the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) providing housing for those seeking affordable housing.

They would not allow the speaker to get on with the agenda. Instead, they demanded that the speaker get the gist of what they wanted. They could not move forward with new business without the old business being handled. They had people sign the HUD form to let people know they wanted the HUD situation handled before anything else could be progressed in terms of community activism. They were tired of being
pushed to the side for other minority groups.

There were about 20-30 people in attendance, quite a few looked to be businessmen. In order to be a part of this group, you have to live, own property, or work in the Brownsville/Model City/West Little River area.

The angry citizens who were in attendance, including, but not limited to African Americans of all ages. At least from ages 29 to their late 80s, judging from the look of a couple of women, one of whom WAS extremely vocal in making sure that the OCED Office of Community and Economic Development get in tune with the Community Action Agency (CAA) to make sure that both agencies were in tune with one another and that both agencies do not screw over the black community with their promises to enhance the growth of jobs and new businesses to launch in the areas surrounding Miami's black community, to make sure that the affordable homes that were promised to the community remains in tact. Though there has been progress with housing, such as the building of the new affordable homes in the former lots of the Scott-Carver projects that had been demolished for 6 years but the empty land still remained. The black community knows that the CAA hadn't done it's job: the land where the Scott projects used to reside, sat idly by while county money was being used for the developers' pockets rather than building homes, had to be taken over by Habitat For Humanity in order for the homes to be erected and for people to finally live in their own domicile rather than waiting for the county to move its good foot onto doing what it promised.

Hopefully, this new community organization that possibly can be borne into greatness can use its influence to finally make changes that our black leaders claim they were doing. Hey, our Latino brethren have tremendous clout. It's time for us to build our own and use it to great advantage: bringing a change in curriculum for our students so that they can be ahead of the class, and not just the expression. Make them see that having an education will lead them to great careers, instead of sitting around doing nothing, struggling when they don't have to struggle and decide they want to rob people. They don't have to. Making sure that we have different industries in Miami so that our students and even those who move to Miami can have different options to start their lives and careers. Making sure traffic is FINALLY alleviated by building the metrorail not only North and South but East and West so that way we don't have to sit through rush hour traffic.

But first thing is first: HUD has to make sure they do right by the black community. Granted, I wasn't at previous meetings to get the gist of what exactly was going on, I can only imagine from what I'd read in newspapers and how HUD hasn't made the commitment it promises in 2001 to the Scott project residents to ensure they would have their own homes in a fair amount of time. Once HUD is done with, then it's on to making sure our children are educated about life and book smarts, then encourage them to stay to stay in Miami for college or at the very least, go to a four year college, or 2 year then transfer to a four year to get their bachelor's degree, and to shoot further to get that Master's but at the very least get your bachelor's degree.

SILENT PRESS RELEASE ABOUT “SILENT KILLER”

I’ve been thinking about what I wanted my first blog entry to be about. I’m a writer and usually thoughts just flow from my brain to white space freely. But when I sat down to write about my experiences here in Miami, I hit a brick wall. Sure I could talk about the predictable like the differences in weather, nightlife etc. But I came across something last week that got under my skin so badly that I just HAD to put it on blast so to speak.

I was reading e-mails and I came across one from a volunteer organization that I sometimes help out with some events. I scrolled through the e-mail, taking time to read the synopsis of each event because I didn’t want to miss a thing. I almost did miss something- though it wasn’t my fault. Buried in between Black Beach & Bluegrass was a little blurb about a health fair. I clicked the link that accompanied the text because it seemed interesting. Imagine my shock to find a website about an Aids Prevention event that already passed. In fact, the 2nd Annual Silence is Death Community March took place on February 8, 2008.

Where was the press release about this event that is so crucial to our community? Where was the sound byte on the local news? Did I miss it? I am actually praying that it was only I under my solitary rock and the rest of Miami was out in force- marching and creating awareness about this deadly disease that is plaguing our community.

Silence is death. So why was this kept silent? I’ve heard promos for every event under the sun on the radio for the past few weeks. Who doesn’t know that Virginia Key Beach Park (Black Beach) is reopening? You’d have to be living in a vacuum not to know that the Miami International Film Festival will descend upon the city in the coming weeks. But why is something so relevant to our community kept on the hush?

I could spend the next few paragraphs creating bullet points and graphs. But by now we all know the most important fact of them all. AIDS is killing off African American’s at an alarming rate. We need to educate ourselves, know our status, and practice safe sex. Seems easy, but for some reason we just aren’t connecting the dots. That’s why movements like Black Aids Day are invaluable. But the information has to get into the hands of the masses. It doesn’t do us a bit of good when it’s under promoted, ignored and pushed under the rug in favor of more glamorous events, that, though important in their own way, don’t affect our health and well being.

I want a do-over. Let’s try again- once more with feeling. Maybe Black Aids Day should be semi-annual. This deserves a PR blitz of epic proportions. Check out http://www.blackaidsday.org/ . There are a ton of events taking place in Miami that are way under the radar. Let’s get involved with some worthwhile for a change.