Black History Month matters; Miami-Dade tried to prove it this year | Opinion
As Black History Month ends, we must note that celebrations in Miami-Dade this year were a welcome change from what has been happening at the state level regarding the teaching of Black history.
In the past year, books have been banned, Black history teachings have come under scrutiny in some Miami-Dade schools and state curriculum standards have been changed to say that African-Africans benefited from slavery because it taught them skills.
What an insult.
While the Florida Legislature has attempted to diminish the role of Black history in schools, Miami-Dade upheld the importance of this history through various events and initiatives. Good for them.
In what proved to be a moving moment during a fast-paced NBA game, the Heat honored the 162 Black men who signed a form to incorporate the city of Miami. In a symbolic showing on Feb. 7, 162 Black men took center court at the Kaseya Center to stand for those who paved the way to Miami in July of 1896.
Kudos to the Heat for marking the month in such a significant way. Strangely enough, no major honor has ever been bestowed on these men, except by a Miami Herald newsletter called the 44 percent, the percentage of Miami’s population the 162 men represented when the city was founded.
On the private education front, Black churches in Miami-Dade played a pivotal part in honoring Black history this year. Numerous historically Black churches hosted educational classes about African American history using a toolkit developed to counter Florida’s moves to reshape Black history standards for their congregations.
At the New Generation Missionary Baptist Church in Opa-locka, the young churchgoers are being taught classes about African American history using a program created by leaders from Faith in Florida, a coalition of over 800 congregations across 41 counties in Florida.
These classes fill an important void and engaged churchgoers who have taken an interest in learning about Black figures like Martin Luther King Jr. in fuller context. By bringing Black history education directly into churches, these congregations have found a way to preserve accurate knowledge about the Black experience in America.
A true lesson on how a community — in this case, the religious community — can fill societal gaps on their own.
Beyond churches, Miami-Dade supported Black History Month celebrations through various public commemorations and activities. Schools, museums and cultural institutions hosted lectures, exhibits, and performances that shed light on the contributions of Blacks in our community.
County officials also participated in commemorative events that affirmed Miami-Dade’s commitment to recognizing Black history and culture.
Among the most significant was the unveiling of a historical marker dedicated to Arthur McDuffie on the same corner where he was fatally beaten on Dec. 17, 1979 by white Miami-Dade police officers who chased him along Northwest 17th Avenue after he ran a red light in his motorcycle. They tried to make McDuffie’s injuries appear to be the result of a motorcycle accident, not a beating.
In May 1980, after the officers were acquitted of his murder by an all-white jury in Tampa, Miami’s McDuffie riots erupted, leaving 18 dead and causing $100 million in property damage mainly in Liberty City, Overtown and Brownsville.
Almost 45 years after he was beaten and died four days later, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and County Commissioner Keon Hardemon unveiled the plaque in honor of McDuffie, who is Miami-Dade’s version of George Floyd. Two of McDuffie’s children and other relatives were there for the honor, which was long overdue. A wrong was corrected this year.
While Florida’s government has taken steps backward, Miami-Dade showed it is dedicated to moving forward when it comes to honoring Black history.
By upholding educational initiatives and cultural celebrations, the county demonstrated the importance of ensuring future generations have access to the full, unvarnished truth about the Black experience in America.
In prioritizing Black history, Miami-Dade set the right example this year.
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