Yes, Tallahassee. Launched in February this year, the Black News Channel can be viewed nationwide, though, as it is a 24-hour, independent operation that covers the stories of the African diaspora throughout the United States. It can be viewed via Comcast Xfinity X1, Charter Spectrum TV and a growing number of online streaming platforms. Learn more about it, what it covers, how and why, here. It is the first such operation since the birth of BET–Black Entertainment Television–in 1980 by Robert and Sheila Johnson, but is now owned by ViacomCBS. The tagline for the BNC is cool: Truth Illuminated. And, of course, its stories can also be viewed on its website.
‘Juneteenth’ refers to that day, June 19, 1865, when slaves in Texas were freed by the Union Army–two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Imagine.
Also known as both Freedom Day and Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is recognized as a state holiday or special day of observance in 45 states, including Florida, and there are usually really interesting celebrations of the day. Not nearly as many this year (gee; wonder why?), though there are a couple in Broward and Miami-Dade counties and one youth-focused event that is happening in Palm Beach County: Porch Stories: A Juneteenth Celebration!
Sponsored by the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum in Delray Beach in partnership with the Delray Beach Public Library, the event is the reading of books about the topic that will be recorded on June 19 and live-streamed via the Museum’s and Library’s websites and social media pages.
The target audience is first graders on up, including any adults interested in learning about the topic in a fun way. For more information, call the Museum at 561-279-8883 or visit its website here.
That’s what Tyler Lawrence, 28, said to herself when she learned about the shooting death of Breonna Taylor in her own home in Lexington, Kentucky. It’s also what came to mind when Bryce Graham, 23, and 20-year-old Veneisha Pierre watched the now-infamous, nine-minute George Floyd video and heard, repeatedly, “I can’t breathe.”
All three of them are millennials, all three of them live in Palm Beach County (PBC) and all three of them have been active in what has become international protests against racial injustice and police brutality. Those protests have led to the notion of a “new civil rights movement” being borne, and led, by millennials from across the African diaspora with the support of much of the rest of the country.
Mr. Graham, a young pastor known as Prophet Bryce, has been active for years. He is the PBC representative of the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and was recognized last year by the Trayvon Martin Foundation. Ms. Pierre, who is of Haitian descent, has helped organized two protests in West Palm Beach in the last two weeks: at Dreher Park and in CityPlace (um, sorry; Rosemary Square). Both will appear tomorrow on cocochats, our community news radio show on SupaJamz 103.7 FM, which airs at 6 p.m., live, every Wednesday.
Tune in at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10 to learn more about the local “new” civil rights movement.
“What happened to George Floyd isn’t new,” Prophet Bryce said. “Many of us have been hurt, disrespected, damaged or, even in his case, killed by the system. It has to stop.”
Ms. Lawrence, a young college-educated mother of three, said the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd—and Ahmaud Arbery and Eric Garner and Corey Jones, among others—have hugely affected her. She wrote an email to the Attorney General of Lexington, Daniel Cameron, last week, pushing her point and asking for justice for Ms. Taylor. Click here to read part of the email.
“What happened to her, what happened to all of these black people with the police reminded me of my children,” she said. “I’m tired, I’m fed up. How can I be a black Mom and be educated and not do anything, not fight? I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I didn’t do something.”
Indeed, when she didn’t hear back from the Attorney General, she called his office. “They told me they were working on it.”
In the picture at top from left, Prophet Bryce, Veneisha Pierre and Tyler Lawrence, all doing what millennials are doing what right now around the world.
WEST PALM BEACH – At the Board of County Commissioners meeting on June 4, 2019, Mayor Bernard presented a proclamation declaring June 2019 Suits for Seniors Month in Palm Beach County.
That’s the language and picture on Palm Beach County (PBC)’s website from last year and, at today’s regular County Commission meeting, only one will update: the official announcement of June 2020 as Suits for Senior Month.
There will be no photographs, though, thanks to the pandemic: the meeting will be held viral and there will be no public recognition, no celebratory event.
Instead, the founder/CEO of ‘Suits,’ Jervonte Edmonds, has created another way to still celebrate its work, its students and, especially, its mentors during the month of June, thanks to PBC.
#SuitsforSeniorsMonth has been born. There will be a Suits for Seniors Business Week, which will run from June 15-20, and will celebrate something different every day, and there will also be other events during other days in June.
The County Commission will announce the month-long recognition at today’s regular Board meeting. Click here to learn more about Suits for Seniors.
All of it focused on what the young, hardworking nonprofit is all about: mentoring. Indeed, Mr. Edmonds launched’ Suits’ in 2015 while a student at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and working for one of his own mentors, state Senator Bobby Powell.
“Research has shown that young people who are connected to a mentor improves the academic, social and economic prospects of their lives,” Mr. Edmonds said. “That ultimately strengthens our community. More than ever we need mentors to step into our youth’s lives—and that’s what we’ll do this month: celebrate the impact of mentoring and offer our community a chance to save a life.”
Nearly all of the activities will be done online. Besides the scheduled upcoming Business Week, other events include Thank You Mentor Day on tomorrow, June 3, when participating students are encouraged to send a note or card or use social media to say thank you.
Another big day? Suits for Seniors Day today—when PBC is scheduled to make the announcement again, this time for 2020, which will “hopefully inspire more people to learn more about mentoring with us,” Mr. Edmonds said.
It, again, will be done viral.
“And that’s unfortunate, in a sense,” Commissioner Mack Bernard said. “But the good news is the good work Suits does with our young people across Palm Beach County will continue. No matter what.”
For sure. And, by the way, that’s Mr. Edmonds standing to Commissioner Bernard’s right, in the picture at top, while Senator Powell is on the far left. To learn more about Mr. Edmonds, click here; about Commissioner Bernard, here; and, about Senator Powell, here.
Well, that’s how we feel at cocowire, anyway. That’s why we didn’t really write anything last month, why we didn’t send out a digital community newsletter last month, why adds weren’t made to the coco Calendar last month. We prefer to write about news, events and useful information at cocowire that doesn’t get attention.
Haitian Heritage Month isn’t ‘official,’ but it is celebrated in thousands of communities across the United States. It started in Boston in 1998 and then came here to Palm Beach County (PBC) in 2001–where, along with the rest of south Florida, it is celebrated bigger and better each year than just about anywhere else.
There are usually huge annual events happening, such as the 22nd annual Haitian Compas Festival, to be held in Miami May 13-18 (click here for info), and the PBC Library System’s annual celebration, which started last Saturday and runs throughout the month. Click here for its list of events. The international celebration of Haitian Flag Day is on May 18.
And scroll down to read a bit more, here, about Mora J. Etienne, a Haitian filmmaker recently honored by PBC. He will be next week’s guest on cocochats, our community news-focused radio show on SupaJamz Radio, the Caribbean-themed station at 103.7 FM on the dial.
Filmmaker Mora J. Etienne with his Palm Beach County recognition, which, thanks to the pandemic, arrived in the mail.
But if you do want to learn more about last month’s big hit–that would be the pandemic–and PBC’s steady response to it, click here to read the most-recent Bernard Beat–a twice-weekly, digital publication from County Commissioner Mack Bernard, who is…Haitian.
Even though we at cocowire haven’t covered COVID-19 as you have, we thank you, Mr. Commissioner, for the great, broad, useful information you continually provide. Want to receive it too? Send an email here.
Palm Beach County’s Youth Services Program has a list of 120 camps that are everywhere–from Boca Raton to Riviera Beach to Jupiter to Royal Palm Beach to the Glades–and all of them can be attended for free! Just apply for a County Scholarship, which provides full tuition and fees for families that meet certain eligibility requirements. See the full list of camps here and, below, learn about two that teach what many students don’t get nowadays in school: performance arts and music education.
The T-shirts worn by the performing SOS Community Marching Band members each have one word on the back: Warrior. That’s because whether they’re playing instruments, carrying flags in sequence, dancing in order–the young people in this band don’t play. Rather, they have so much fun! Whether they perform locally, in other parts of the County or Florida or, in some cases, even out of state, they are music and performance warriors. The summer camp is just an extension, and includes weekly field trips, free transportation and themed classes taught by certified instructors. Click here to get the SOS Band Summer Camp’s full details. Learn more about the year-round, Riviera Beach-based program here.
This camp is a wow! It is part of a year-round effort to provide training in song, dance, acting–everything that happens on a stage!–by the Palm Beach Children’s Chorus. In fact, each week will have a different theme, including Broadway Musical, video and TV production, film and digital media and focused music genres. Said Sandi Russell, the nonprofit’s founder: “We just want to ensure as many children as possible can attend–especially kids who are interested in what we do: performance.” There’s also free lunch, stage craft and costume design as well as academic classes taught by certified educators. Learn more about the year-round, Palm Beach Gardens-based program here.
The Annual
Meeting of the BBIC is this evening, when attendees will learn what the
nonprofit has accomplished in the last year and what its goals are for 2020.
Ever heard
of it? The Palm Beach County (PBC) BBIC—Black Business Investment Corporation—is
one of eight nonprofit investment corporations that was created as a result of
the state of Florida’s Small and Minority Business Act of 1985, which sought to
ensure the achievement of those types of businesses around the Sunshine State. Each
of the BBICs have a sole, distinct responsibility: underwriting loans and
investments and providing other services to qualified businesses that are at
least 51 percent owned by people of color—African Americans, Caribbeans and
native Africans.
Since its
founding in 1987, the Riviera Beach-based PBC BBIC has provided more than $30
million to those targeted businesses countywide. It works with member banks in
Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties to provide loan
guarantees of up to 90 percent to eligible businesses. It partners with
PBC’s Department of Housing and Economic Sustainability to provide business
loan guarantees, yes, but also bonding, equity capital and other types of
assistance. And it also provides
training and educational programs through partnerships with other
organizations, including business plan preparation, marketing strategies and
management and accounting training.
The current BBIC President Marlon D. White, left, and former President and Founder John Howard.
Marlon White, the local BBIC’s president, has had a long career in banking and had sat on the BBIC’s executive board for 31 years—while John Howard, its founder in 1987, was president. Mr. Howard, by the way, had been president of Palm Beach Lakes Bank, PBC’s first and only black-owned bank, which had been located at Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard and Australian Avenue in West Palm Beach until it closed in the 1980s. When Mr. Howard retired in 2018 at age 78, Mr. White took the reins.
And he’ll be at the head of the table this evening at the Annual Meeting, which will be held at the U.S. Trust Bank on Palm Beach. Visit its website here to learn more about its work and how it can help.
It may not be the best video–no sound, really dark–but watch it.
And to think she’s never taken a dance class!
Every Sunday, the Caribbean-themed TikiMarket at the Marina in Riviera Beach happens from 4 to 7 p.m. Last week, we were there at the end of the evening, as vendors were shutting down, carrying their stuff to their cars, and the DJ played a last few songs. That’s when we saw her: the little dancing lady! Nine-year-old Daneeka Howard, who lives in Lake Park, was jooking! Not twerking, not dropping it like it’s hot—but turning, twisting, bouncing, shaking…in a really skilled way. Yet she’s never taken a dance class, according to her mother, Sonia Stone, who owns Simply Stunning Organic and was selling paraffin/soy candles at the TikiMarket. “But she’s always loved dancing, since she was little, like, age 3,” Ms. Stone said, “and she’s always been very confident in herself. If someone said to her ‘oh, you’re so pretty, so nice,’ she’ll be like ‘thank you; I know.’” And when she overheard our conversation, Daneeka said, “Did you know I sing, too?” That’s what we liked about her: her confidence. Even though she’s only in the fourth grade. Even though she’s one of five kids. Even though she never took a dance class. Still. Confident.
The Little Dancing Lady, left, with her sister Deliyah and a friend at the TikiMarket at the Marina in Riviera Beach. Learn more about the event here.
People from around the world will be at today’s Super Bowl LIV in Miami—as will several local businesses from Palm Beach County.
And so will at least one local reporter we know: Daphne Taylor of the South Florida Times. Ms. Taylor, who covers primarily Palm Beach County (PBC) for the Ft. Lauderdale-based weekly, found out late last week that she would also write about the big game in Miami. Great assignment, she says, but there’s more to the Hard Rock Stadium association than writing a news story.
“It is indeed an honor to cover the Super Bowl as a reporter,” she said, “but I am especially proud of the local businesses and organizations that will be there also. To me, that’s the big story.”
Besides Ms. Taylor, here are a few locals who’ll also be onsite:
Dream Big Sports Academy. The West Palm Beach-based nonprofit is based on a simple notion: that athletes are leaders too. Dream Big was founded in 2006 by Wayne Monroe, a highly educated athlete who is currently the dean of student services at John I. Leonard High School in Greenacres. Mr. Monroe took 35 kids down south from John I. Leonard and Dream Big to participate in a daylong series of workshops on January 30–during Super Bowl weekend–that’s sponsored by the national Player Networking Event, when former NFL players essentially mix with young people in the community, sharing their experiences, their values, themselves during Super Bowl. Mr. Monroe was also a team lead at one of those workshops, which focused on Financial Literacy and was in partnership with Comerica Bank; see the images below. He’s returning today, of course, for the game itself. Learn more about his work here.
Click any picture to hear Mr. Monroe pitch at the Player Networking Event. That’s him in the red shirt.In all the pictures.
Flippy Magz. The Riviera Beach-based company was created in 2016 and makes reversible magnets that primarily promote college sports teams. Team Lead Delano Allen says the young business has partnered to provide products with a host of colleges in Florida, some churches and several locals running for public office. For the Super Bowl, Flippy Magz was asked to produce more than 1,000 magnets that promotes the City of Miami on one side and the big game on the other. Watch a local broadcast report on the young company below and visit its website here.
McCray’s Backyard BBQ & Seafood. No surprise here: McCray’s has been selling its finger-lickin’ ribs at Super Bowl games for the last 14 years and, this year, will provide meals at five official events associated with the big game. Already, McCray’s has done several events—including this weekend’s Player Networking Event—and is scheduled to provide food at the official Super Bowl Miami Host Committee Tailgate Party today at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood. The restaurant recently opened its flagship location in Mangonia Park and hosts public events there often. Watch a local video about its work below and click here to visit its website.
It is these examples of local connectedness
that inspire Ms. Taylor.
“Yes, I’m humbled to be among the thousands of great reporters from across the globe to cover this magnificent and monumental occasion,” she said, “but believe me, I am especially proud of the local businesses and organizations that have been selected to participate. My prayer is that having them be a part of such a worldwide event will take their businesses to a whole new level of success.” Read a copy of her bio here. And that’s her press pass, above, and her, below.
Heard cocochats yet? The 30-minute talk show airs at 6 p.m. each Wednesday–as in tonight!–on SupaJamz 103.7 FM, a young, Caribbean-themed station that is, in only a year, the most popular station of its kind in Palm Beach County (PBC).
Its hostess? cocowire’s very own team lead, Marian Dozier.
cocochats hostess with her–and Jamaica’s–favorite brew!
The show got started last month, after Ms. Dozier met station owner Junior Blacks. And talked.
“We were on the same page,” Ms. Dozier said. “It was important to both of us that our communities are aware, connected and strong. News helps.”
And those communities? As anyone who knows Ms. Dozier will tell you, they are the communities in PBC that make up the African diaspora—African Americans, Caribbeans and native Africans. A population growing in size, complexity and diversity.
The SupaJamz team! Click here to learn more about the young PBC-based, Caribbean-themed station.
Ms. Dozier comes to the radio station after co-hosting for several years the weekly South Florida Sunday show with former Riviera Beach Mayor Thomas A. Masters on X102.3 FM, the most popular R & B station in PBC. She also has been a legislative aide to state Senator Bobby Powell and to several members of the Riviera Beach City Council and, before that, a newspaper reporter or editor for more than two decades, including at the Detroit Free Press, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
It was at that position in Florida that Ms. Dozier first learned about a focus she had–even though it wasn’t her beat or area of coverage. “No one is writing about what you do,” her editor at the time said, when he learned she was leaving to go to Atlanta.
“I remember thinking ‘huh?’ What is he talking about?’ ” Ms. Dozier said. “But he told me how I always made sure to get other voices in my stories—other black voices—and how I did it seamlessly. He said that was valuable, I remember, and it was primarily why he felt my byline leaving the Sun-Sentinel would leave an empty hole. It was a wow.”
Turns out he was right, though, when she thought later about her work at other newspapers too. Push it forward to cocowire–and cocochats.
cocochats host Marian Dozier interviews Alisa Hall, manager of the TikiMarket at the Marina in Riviera Beach. Learn more about the weekly event here.
So. Please. Tune in. Share story ideas. Tell us what you think. In other words, tell us about our focus: news, events and useful information for communities of color in PBC.
The guest on today’s show will be Anthony Ashe, creator of Rated R Fitness, which combines fitness with nutrition and faith–for a reason. Learn more about him here.
