‘Plant a seed.’ Miami community group honors late co-founder by continuing his work
Grief comes in waves.
The bad days are obvious: the tears, the frustration, the unanswered questions. The good days, however, sneak up on you.
As Roots Collective co-founder Isaiah Thomas reclined in a chair underneath the Dania Beach Pier, the laughter of the children from his summer camp playing on the beach filling the air, he made it clear that today was in fact a good day.
“This is what we wanted to do personified,” Thomas said, referring to his fallen friend and Roots Collective co-founder Danny Agnew who passed away June 15 in a car accident. “This is a day where I can sit back and be like ‘This what we talked about. This what we wrote those grants for.’”
Through its pro-Black apparel, printing shop and Kickback Fridays, Roots Collective has blossomed into a hub for Black Miami since its inception in 2013. Agnew and Thomas’ commitment to serving neglected communities helped birth entities like the Village Free(dge), a community fridge and pantry founded by Sherina Jones that serves more than 200 people a day, as well as spring, winter and summer camps through partnerships with the Healing and Justice Center. As Thomas previously said, Roots Collective was meant to be a “bridge” between the world of social activism and the marginalized communities.
“People can’t pay me to switch up my passion,” Agnew told the Miami Herald in March 2022. “This is what I live for: helping people, building out the base and continuing to create a family within South Florida.”
“We were meant to be a bridge to bring two different worlds together and allow two different worlds see each other,” Thomas said at Agnew’s celebration of life. “If we went to a big social justice event, we’d be sitting back like ‘We’re missing the hood.’”
Despite losing Agnew less than a month ago, the organization’s mission to create space for Black Miamians continued with their third annual summer camp. This year’s summer camp, a collaboration with Teen Upward Bound, shuttles middle and high school students from across Miami-Dade County to experiences ranging from golfing to fishing while also teaching them life skills like how to change a tire and barbecue.
“I just want to expose ‘em,” Thomas said. “Plant a seed and expose ‘em.”
The power of exposure was evident at Wednesday’s fishing trip to Dania Beach. With the smell of saltwater and fish swirling about in the air, the campers learned how to bait, line their rods and cast into the ocean – something more than half of the 32 kids had never done before.
“We’re in Florida and a lot of people take that for granted,” said Mwai Osahar, the founder of United and Unlimited, a nonprofit that focuses on youth enrichment. Along with Black Men Build, United and Unlimited was one of the organizations that partnered with Roots Collective for the fishing excursion. “A lot of people who grow up in certain communities don’t travel to the pier, don’t go fishing.”
As time wore on, something beautiful happened: the kids became more and more interested. Cortlin Poitier, 13, vowed to get his revenge when a fish stole his bait. Tristan Berry grew fascinated by the anatomy of the fish and began dissecting. A true teacher in every sense of the word, Thomas was there, encouraging them along the way.
“You going to be a doctor? Surgeon?” Thomas asks.
“Maybe,” Berry, 14, replies before wondering aloud, “What part of the body is that? I don’t know fish anatomy.”
Thomas flashed a smile as he explained how these kinds of interactions are part of what made his program so special.
“This the summer,” Thomas said. “As adults, we tell kids what they’re going to do. Every day after lunch, it’s their time. We watch them but we let them explore. Be themselves.”
And although it took awhile for the fish to actually bite, one finally did. The lucky camper – 15-year-old Kimani Davis – was nervous and excited as she tried to hold up and pose with the fish for the customary post-catch picture.
“Tiring!” Davis said of what it was like reeling in the fish. “That was probably like the biggest fish I’ve caught in a long time.”
Davis admitted that she was one of the campers who didn’t necessarily want to go fishing at first. Her biggest takeaway from the experience?
“Try new things,” she said. Davis, who also attended the camp in 2022, had nothing but positive things to say about her adventures. There’s “a lot of different events. It has been chill. I’ve been enjoying it. I’ve been learning a lot of new things.”
Now three years into the summer camp, Thomas wants to expand. Agnew’s untimely passing has him thinking about institutions, something that will continue to service young, Black Miamians for years to come. Roots Collective already hosts camp during winter and spring break: the only thing he needs to become a full-time, after school program is more funding. This year’s winter break will be particularly special, Thomas said.
“We doing a road trip,” Thomas said. “Danny always wanted to take kids on a trip to see Black historical landmarks along the east coast.”
This story was originally published July 17, 2023 at 12:09 PM.
