Dade sorely needs mayor’s push to bring equity and inclusion for Black residents
In a county enamored with rags-to-riches stories, not everyone acknowledges the economic aid — and the Democratic “welcome to the USA” policies — that led to prosperity and success for many early immigrants to Miami-Dade.
The triumphant narrative that prevails is that hard work alone made the man or the woman.
But it’s time to acknowledge that, besides federal aid and privileged immigration status, the whiteness of the early Cuban exodus in a deep-South state also played a role in opening the road to achievement.
If you don’t think so, ask a Black Cuban millionaire or billionaire businessman in town. Can’t find one? Neither could I.
You won’t find many African-American millionaires, either.
While Miami’s Blacks were among the region’s first settlers, they were largely left behind as modern Miami rose. Now, new leadership in county government is promising a concerted effort to bring equity and inclusion to the forefront — and end the historic “separate and unequal” treatment of Blacks.
COUNTY MAYOR & RACIAL DISPARITY
It’s time to acknowledge that, in 2021, we have to do more than just talk about race and racism. We need long-overdue policies with teeth at every level to ensure that, whether it’s a business opportunity, decent affordable housing or a shot of COVID-19 vaccine in the arm, they’re available to everyone.
To that end, the new County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has taken a first step in the right direction by creating the Office of Equity and Inclusion, funded with $375,000 and led by an energetic African-American professional from South Dade, director Jason T. Smith.
As he put it, Smith knows what a $1 million county investment in working-class Goulds yields, as opposed to say, well-to-do Pinecrest, in terms of equity.
Knowing the history of broken promises, I’m skeptical, but also hopeful after talking with Smith and Rahel Weldeyesus, senior adviser to the mayor in charge of another new department, Innovation & Performance, which will work hand in hand with Smith.
In my 40 years of reporting, I’ve heard a lot of promises made to the African-American community. Few have been kept.
But I don’t recall a mayor making it a priority, and three months into her term, addressing issues of inequity and discrimination by taking vast, multilayered action to lift barriers to opportunity.
COUNTY CONTRACTS & PROCUREMENT
On the table for review: contentious county contracts and procurement procedures that so often only favor the politically connected. Smith’s office will study where they stand in terms of the inclusion of Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ communities. And women and people with disabilities, too.
“We will be data driven,” Smith says. “A dashboard of metrics will establish where we are now and set some real goals as to where we want to go.”
A community survey is being circulated to some 950,000 residents asking for input on what people need from county government and “civic weekends,” now in virtual form because of COVID but coming up in outdoor “tent” gatherings are being planned to target hardto-reach populations.
“True change happens from the bottom up, among the people,” Smith says. “It’s important to hear from the community so that the county can take the lead from the community.”
What a change from the top-down leadership of former Mayor Carlos Gimenez, whose family, friends and campaign workers seemed to be first in line for county contracts.
Minority-owned momand-pop businesses and entrepreneurs will get information on how to become a county vendor, how to connect with capital funding, and on how to follow the path of success of others.
Smith, 42, points to the story of a Black developer who got his start installing drywall at a church but was able to grow his business after he was tapped to work in a county-funded senior housing project in Richmond Heights that, unbelievably so, had no minority participation.
Promoting stories of success will also be
Smith’s job.
The mayor’s effort isn’t just politically correct diversity talk, but action directed at eliminating systemic racist barriers to success.
Policy to ensure there’s diversity in county-funded projects “needs to be baked into the system,” Smith says. “And that’s something my office can champion and say, ‘There is a path here and it can be done’.”
All of the members of the County Commission should get behind Levine Cava’s plan. County investment in Black prosperity benefits all of MiamiDade.
Commissioners should not shy away from the racial-disparity conversation, but welcome it. For far too long, they’ve been part of a system that should have — but didn’t — grant county contracts to a bigger share of minority contractors.
“We have systemic racism in county government,” Levine Cava said on the campaign trail — and it wasn’t lip service.
Kudos to Madame Mayor for making good on a campaign promise that has the power to bring real change and prosperity to people left behind.
Winter storms have caused icy roads, flight cancellations and power outages across the country this week. The bad weather has also delayed Florida’s incoming vaccine delivery.
Florida was expecting 200,000 Moderna vaccines to arrive Tuesday, but the hazardous weather stalled delivery, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which is tasked with the state’s vaccine distribution.
“It’s a combination of the weather, the ice and then obviously the different logistics that result from that. If you have an appointment, like at Publix for Thursday and they have to delay you, that’s almost assuredly why,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday during a news conference in Manatee County. “So, just have patience on it. There’s nothing we can do with the weather in other states.”
Moderna’s shipment is now expected to arrive Thursday or Friday.
DeSantis said the state has also received the “vast, vast majority”of its allotted Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine this week but is still waiting for about 9,000 doses. The state has so far received about 136,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week. The remaining Pfizer doses should arrive later Wednesday or Thursday, he said.
Division spokeswoman Samantha Bequer said the state has notified all vaccine providers about the delay and has asked them to reschedule appointments, if necessary, instead of canceling.
While the second dose should be administered three weeks later for Pfizer, one month for Moderna, it’s OK to get the second dose up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.,
SEVERE WEATHER DELAYS FLORIDA VACCINE DELIVERY. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR APPOINTMENTS?
The delivery delay forced Publix to cancel plans to make additional appointments available Wednesday. The Lakelandbased supermarket has been offering vaccines at more than 500 of its stores across the state, including in the Keys and Palm Beach County. None of the stores in Miami-Dade or Broward offer vaccines.
The severe weather conditions have also affected the supplies of Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más and Harveys supermarkets, which began offering Moderna COVID-19 vaccines in select stores across the state last week.
Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers, the trio’s parent company, told the Miami Herald in an email Wednesday that the delayed vaccine delivery has affected its ability to offer new vaccination appointments. The company is encouraging customers to continue checking each store’s online portal for future updates.
The delays have also likely affected Walmart and Sam’s Club, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Miami-Dade County’s government also saw a “minimal delay” regarding some of its Pfizer seconddose shipments. However, the shipment has since arrived and workers are in the process of scheduling second-dose appointments starting Friday.
And for those trying to get the vaccine through Jackson Health System, Miami-Dade County’s public hospital network, the signs are looking good for you.
As of Wednesday, the snowstorms across the country have not delayed vaccine shipments to the hospital or caused it to cancel appointments, said hospital spokeswoman Tania Leets. Jackson also still had enough doses in stock to open its online portal early Wednesday to schedule a limited number of vaccination appointments.
The CDC told NBC News Tuesday it was expecting “widespread” delays in vaccine deliveries for several days because of the dangerous conditions. Besides Florida, other states have also reported shipment delays or have had to halt vaccinations because of the extreme weather.