The 44 Percent: A legend retires, Amaris Jones at Red Rooster and Gunna’s release
.JPG "At 19, Leonard Pitts, left, interviewed singer Stevie Wonder for Soul Magazine at Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles in Hollywood, California in 1977. This photo was featured in photographer Bruce W. Talamon’s book, “Soul R&B Funk: Photographs 1972-1982.” Wonder had recently released his landmark “Songs in the Key of Life” album.")
When I first got to the Herald, I had no idea what to expect.
I had never spent extended time in Miami. I had never had a real journalism job before. And I had never been to a Walmart where English was a second language.
It’s safe to say I was a little out of my element.
Somewhere along the line, however, I found Leonard Pitts. I don’t remember what my introduction to Pitts was but I do remember being blown away. The style, the tone, the command of the English language — it was refreshing. More than that, it was inspiring. For the first time since arriving in Miami, I thought, “Maybe I could do this.”
With Pitts, the emotions rushed over me like a tidal wave. In one graph, I’d be angry. In the next, I’d be comforted. His columns often sent me an emotional rollercoaster that usually ended with me saying three words: “I feel you.”
Pitts, of course, has officially retired from the Herald but the mark he left on me is indelible. He spoke truth to power. Provided a voice for the voiceless. And, arguably most important, gave us hope for a better future.
Happy Trails, Mr. Pitts. May your next chapter be as inspirational as your first.
INSIDE THE 305
‘Strong ties to the community.’ Overtown’s hottest restaurant brought in this Miami chef:
Red Rooster Overtown is one of the neighborhood’s hottest restaurants.
In order to foster stronger ties with the community, Red Rooster owner Marcus Samuelsson brought in Amaris Jones as chef at large. Jones is essentially tasked with sprinkling in her own flare on some of Samuelsson’s signature specialties while adding a few dishes to the menu.
A Philadelphia native who famously helped Rick Ross lose 80 pounds, Jones’ inspired take on soul food favorites will surely make your mouth water. It’s why Red Rooster hired Jones despite her still running the fried chicken concept that she founded in 2021 called Chick’N Jones.
‘A little Black excellence.’ Event in Miami aims to change the perception of Black men:
If you happen to drive down Biscayne Boulevard Saturday morning, you likely will see something that you’ve maybe never seen before.
Hundreds of suited Black men are expected to gather in front of FTX Arena for the Black Menswear FlashMob, an event designed to counter the negative narratives surrounding Black men.
“It’s important for us to write our own narratives, our own stories,” said NeAndre Broussard, the CEO of Black Menswear, an organization focused on promoting positive representation of men of African descent.
For more information on the event, click here.
OUTSIDE THE 305
Gunna released from jail after taking plea deal:
Grammy-nominated rapper Gunna was released Wednesday after he plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Act. Born Sergio Kitchens, Gunna was one of several associates of Young Slime Life, an allegedly violent street gang co-founded by Young Thug, according to the indictment.
Mr. Kitchens, 29, entered an Alford plea, which allows defendants to maintain their innocence while pleading guilty. He was sentenced to five years but was released because one year was commuted to time served and the rest of the sentence was suspended.
After accepting the terms, Gunna issued the following statement:
“While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way.”
Gunna, however agreed to testify if asked during Wednesday’s court appearance, though he could invoke the fifth amendment.
The Atlanta rapper’s plea deal also hinges on him performing 500 hours of community service. In court Wednesday, he also admitted that YSL is in fact a gang and that his “music indirectly furthered YSL the gang to the detriment of my community.”
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How France’s World Cup team could chart a better future:
With the World Cup coming to a close, I thought it wise to turn attention to France, a team that’s making its second consecutive final appearance thanks to the presence of Black players like wunderkind Kylian Mbappé. Just like America, France suffers with its own issues of racism. That, however, didn’t stop Laurent Dubois from imagining a more accepting France in his recent New York Times opinion piece.
Through their successes, the nation’s athletes offer a positive vision of how diversity is a strength for the team, and by extension for France — in the process nourishing new ways of thinking about what the nation is and can be.
The idea of aspirational cheering, if you will, is something posited by The Atlantic’s Clint Smith, who discussed the concept in a recent piece. As Dubois did with France, Smith too hoped for a better America during the USA’s brief stint in the World Cup.
“Cheering for the United States felt more like cheering for what this country was aspiring to be,” Smith wrote, “rather than just what it was.”
HIGH CULTURE
Ab-Soul to release first album in six years:
Man, 2022 has felt like a TDE Renaissance.
First Kendrick dropped an album (albeit his last project on TDE). Then SZA. Now Ab-Soul? I feel like a kid in rap candy store.
Ab-Soul’s highly anticipated “Herbert” is set to release Friday. Although the rumored Jay-Z feature doesn’t appear on the tracklist, “Herbert” does boast a nice list of guest appearances including Joey Bada$, Jhené Aiko and Big Sean. If the album is anything like his recent L.A. Leakers freestyle, fans will certainly be in for a treat.
Where does “The 44 Percent” name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletter’s title.
This story was originally published December 15, 2022 at 2:53 PM.
