Rapper pardoned by Trump had his own day in Broward. County commission looks at how that happened
Rapper Kodak Black received a special present for his 24th birthday — his very own day in Broward.
County Commissioner Dale Holness presented Black with the proclamation on Friday, his actual birthday, in Coral Springs.
Black, who received a pardon by then-President Donald Trump in January for a weapons conviction and was released, boasted about the honor in a socialmedia post.
“This Means More To Me Than Going Gold Or Platinum,” Black, whose name is Bill Kapri, tweeted.
The problem: Mayor Steven Geller said that only the mayor — or the entire commission — can issue a proclamation. And Geller added that he wouldn’t have authorized the proclamation because of Black’s run-ins with the law.
“I don’t want to sign any proclamation that will end up embarrassing me,” Geller said Monday night. “Dale Holness is not the mayor, nor can he issue a proclamation.”
Geller — who instituted a policy of doing a basic search on a person before giving him or her a proclamation when he became mayor in 2020 — brought up the city’s proclamation process at Tuesday’s commission meeting “so this doesn’t happen again.”
What happened, Geller said, boils down to “miscommunication” between his staff and Holness’ staff. Geller said that when he learned Friday that his name would be stamped on the proclamation for Black, he said no.
Holness — who has announced his candidacy for the congressional seat held by the late U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings — ended up signing the proclamation. But he is not the mayor.
At Tuesday’s commission meeting, Holness explained that after not hearing from the mayor or the vice mayor, he followed what he thought was the county’s protocol of allowing the former mayor to sign a proclamation if both the mayor and vice mayor are absent.
“Mistakes were made,” Geller said. “At this point in time, I am far more interested in making sure that mistakes don’t happen in the future.”
PROCLAMATION PROCESS
During Tuesday’s meeting, Geller and Holness clashed on the county’s procedures for proclamations.
While Geller made it clear that he didn’t want to talk about the proclamation for Black, he said there needs to be more clarity on how honors like this are given.
Geller said the rule that Holness cited — about the vice mayor or mayor being unavailable — only applies if the mayor is absent. Geller said he hasn’t left South Florida since last March.
Holness said that when he didn’t hear back from the mayor or vice mayor, he asked the county attorney.
“I actually called the county attorney, and he says this is what the practice has been,” Holness said at the meeting. “So I’m not [trying to] usurp your power, OK? It’s just what I know that we’ve practiced in the past, OK? In this county office since I’ve been here.”
‘RIGHTEOUS’
Holness said the proclamation wasn’t about naming a day for Kodak: It was about honoring philanthropy and redemption. He said the rapper had rehabilitated himself, paid his debts, took responsibility for his actions, and “committed himself to a righteous and law-abiding future.”
“We all have different perspectives on life and on people. I’m a Christian and I believe in redemption,” Holness said. “It designates Friday [June 11] as a day to encourage and support the philanthropic endeavors of Kodak Black.”
The rapper was born Dieuson Octave and then changed his name to Bill Kapri. He was raised in Pompano Beach.
Black would not have been released from a federal prison in Kentucky until October 2022 had it not been for Trump’s pardon.
In April, the rapper entered a plea deal for firstdegree assault and battery for a 2016 sexual-assault charge after an incident in a South Carolina hotel with a woman. He steered clear of any jail time with an 18-month probation sentence.
Holness said he wanted to recognize Black for his charitable work. Among his acts of generosity: Paying for the college tuition for the children of slain FBI agents Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger, who were killed Feb. 2 while serving a warrant.
Bradford Cohen, Black’s attorney, said, “To say that we should not recognize the good someone does just because that person has been in trouble before is asinine, foolish and ignorant.”
“I would have expected more from individuals that people call leaders,” Cohen said in an email.
Cohen said Black has “done more charity than that which is public,” including paying for children’s hospital bills, donating to justice reform and prison reform and paying for children from lowincome areas to attend private school.
MOVING FORWARD
The commission went back and forth as it created a standard procedure for the process of awarding proclamations and other honors.
In a motion adopted unanimously Tuesday, the commission decided that it must submit proclamations three business days in advance and a commissioner can reach out to the vice mayor if there is no response from the mayor.
If there is still no response, the proclamation would become a certificate of appreciation or letter of recognition, which isn’t issued by the entire board.
In a second motion also adopted unanimously, the commission decided to allow individual commissioners to sign and issue recognition certificates.