Increased Violence Denounced By NAACP

Miami FL

21 January, 2021

8:20 AM

Description

By Johania Charles, Miami Times Staff Writer, the Miami Times Jan 19, 2021 For 33 years, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Miami-Dade Branch has worked tirelessly to pave a path to racial justice through activism and improving the treatment of Black people. In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the civil rights organization reflected on the state and progress of predominantly Black communities during a community listening session, allowing Miami-Dade residents to voice their concerns about prevalent issues plaguing the city. Moving forward these meetings will happen every third Monday of the month. The discussions are being established as newly elected chapter president Daniella Pierre calls for increased interaction with the community, as an effort to help create solutions to its most pressing issues. A major concern vocalized by many was the senseless gun violence and bloodshed witnessed since the start of 2021 and dating back to last year and earlier. Nearly three dozen people have been shot in both Broward and Miami-Dade counties this month alone. "There's been an uptick in violence and for most of it, we know [why], it's poverty, it's economics," said Pierre at a news conference calling for action. Most recently, the subsidized, low-rent Cordoba Courts housing complex located in Opa-locka was the scene of a shooting that left one person dead. Another shooting happened the same day just a few miles away. Opa-locka has the highest violent crime rate in the county, followed by Overtown and Liberty City, according to Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust's annual report card. "They have failed to address the economic well-being of the Black community," said Pierre concerning previous complaints about the complex's failures to address safety and living condition issues for its residents. Some even referred to it as hell, calling it "the devil's dungeon." Pierre thought an immediate solution should be an emphasis on protecting civil rights, including the basic human right to live in adequate housing and a safe environment, and the installation of additional street lights to avoid creating breeding grounds for violence in poorly lit communities. The Miami-Dade NAACP, along with the tenant association of Cordoba Courts and the county's Democratic Black Caucus, is calling on elected officials to provide resources to Black communities to reduce economic barriers that may lead to violence. Rev. Brian Dennis vowed to help young men find jobs paying at least $40,000 a year if they turn their backs on a life of crime. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava mentioned an interest in making educational opportunities, apprenticeship programs and jobs that do not require a degree available to residents of those communities. The chapter's economic disparity committee will work to address access across the county. A focus on economic stability, health equity, public safety and young adult engagement has the potential to thwart the increasing gun violence, suggested Pierre. Black communities are advised to become NAACP members or attend meetings to stay informed and contribute to the problem-solving process. The number of the organization's hotline is 877-NAACP-09; its website address is miamidadenaacp.com. The Miami Times is the largest Black-owned newspaper in the south serving Miami's Black community since 1923. The award-winning weekly is frequently recognized as the best Black newspaper in the country by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.