Live Healthy Miami Gardens (LHMG) Vaccination Coverage Project
The COVID-19 pandemic is a critical global public health concern that has disproportionately affected the African American community in the United States with Black adults more susceptible to health risks linked to severe COVID-19 infections than their white counterparts. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), in terms of hospitalization, Blacks have […]
Governor DeSantis’ Anti-Protest Legislation Serves Anti-Black Racism and White Supremacy
A useful tool when evaluating any proposed legislation seeking to expand the criminal power of the State is to determine whether the new provisions seek to identify a “race problem” and then criminalize it. The criminalization of “race problems” has been the central animating theory of conservative politics and has served the cause of White […]
What Social Justice Gains Can Black Americans Expect from the Biden-Harris Administration
Shortly after being inaugurated as President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden used his new authority to sign Executive Order 13985, “Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” In welcome contrast to the previous presidential administration, which consistently ignored racial inequality and provided comfort to White […]
“A Social Psychological Perspective on Police Violence” by Dr. Edward Stephenson
Police violence directed against indigenous people, African Americans in particular, has in recent times, been at the forefront of the social consciousness brought about by the much-publicized and sensationalized killing of such individuals as George Floyd and many others. The infamous cry of Mr. Floyd, “I Can’t Breathe,” has come to serve as a metaphor […]
“Why Mass Incarceration is a Leading Social Justice Issue” by Janiyah Davis-Hines
Mass incarceration is responsible for wreaking havoc on the Black community. The decline of Black America is linked to mass incarceration, going back to the early 1970s. During the early 1970s, an increase in arrests and imprisonment in the Black community can be attributed to infamous “Law and Order” scare tactics. Conservative Republicans coined this […]
Alexander Rundlet joins the FMU Social Justice Institute as its Chief Strategist
The FMU Social Justice Institute (FMU SJI) recently engaged Alexander Rundlet, Esq. as its Chief Strategist. Rundlet brings years of experience as a litigator and policy analyst with a focus on social justice issues. As Chief Strategist for the FMU SJI, Rundlet will serve as a part of its leadership team to assist with the […]
The Changing Same: Voting, Violence, and American History
This week we pause to celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. If he had not been assassinated 53 years ago by a white supremacist, Dr. King would have celebrated his 92nd birthday on January 15th. In his short 39 years on the planet, he made an indelible mark on the United States […]
The Capitol Riot, White Supremacy, and Post-Trump America
Wednesday, January 6, 2021 offered a pair of contrasting events that portent the dynamism of political life in post-Trump America. On the one hand, Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff won historic victories in their Georgia Senate races. On the other, the violent attempt to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power in our nation’s capital […]
Reflections on 2020: The Promise of the Portal
“Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, […]
We are in the Midst of an HBCU Renaissance
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are poised for a renaissance not seen since the 1990s, when the television show “A Different World” piped visions of the vibrant life on these campuses into the nation’s living rooms. The ascendency of Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris has given HBCUs a new level of visibility, credibility, and respect. Harris’s […]
Eight Years Later: Black Lives Matter and the Legacy of Trayvon Martin
As news of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery on February 23, 2020, spread across the nation this past February, I was struck by a tragic feeling of déjà vu. What I was learning about the tragic events that took place in Brunswick, Georgia, were eerily similar to the murder of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, […]
Criminal Justice: New program aims to let Miami cops, citizens discuss complaints of bias face-to-face
In hopes of restoring strained relations between law enforcement and the public, Miami police and its civilian oversight panel have agreed to voluntary mediation for officers receiving non-criminal complaints like discourtesy or bias profiling.