44 percent: Liberia gets historic marker, Black microschool in Overtown

One thing I’ve learned while writing about race and culture is that Broward has a rich Black history. Historians Emmanuel George and Kitty Oliver have been fervent in their efforts to uncover and preserve it. That’s how Liberia, a historically Black neighborhood in Hollywood, got a Florida state historical marker honoring its contributions over its 101 years.

Through the stories I’ve sought to tell, what’s clear is preserving Black history is essential to building community in Black spaces. Earl Beneby’s stories of growing up in Liberia is a testament to that and what it means for future generations who move to the neighborhood. Liberia isn’t just Hollywood history, it’s Black history.

INSIDE THE 305:

‘It’s a story that needs to be told.’ Historic Black neighborhood in Broward gets honor

Liberia is a community I’d been wanting to write and learn about since I moved to Broward. I’m glad I was able to chronicle the story of the historically Black community along side my colleague and Broward reporter Amanda Rosa.

Liberia’s rich history is what made the Hollywood Historical Society work to get a historical marker for the neighborhood, a mission that took three years.

“Established during segregation, Liberia became a self-sufficient neighborhood where Black residents who were excluded from other parts of the city built homes, businesses and places of worship,” Clive Taylor, the society’s president, said at Saturday’s event. “Despite systemic barriers, the community thrived, fostering a legacy of resilience, culture and economic contribution to early Hollywood.”

Black-owned West Palm Beach studio wins NAACP award for Jackie Robinson animation

Over the weekend, a West Palm Beach-based studio won an NAACP Image award for its work on a children’s series detailing the achievements of Jackie Robinson.

As Wilkine Brutus writes for WLRN: The winning episode from the children’s animated series Peanut Headz: Black History Toonz details the life and achievements of Jackie Robinson — who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947.

But the animation, which won the best animation episode category, goes beyond Robinson’s sports accolades, placing a spotlight on parts of his life often overshadowed by his ground-making achievements in the MLB, said artist Jason Fleurant, who goes by JaFLEU and founded Exhibit Treal Studios.

‘I feel more seen here’: Black history is central to this microschool in Overtown

I spoke to Saliha Nelson, founder of microschool Urgent Academy about why she created it and what she hopes it becomes. Nelson’s ultimate goal is to foster a place of belonging for students. The students I spoke with are already feeling seen and some have said they’ve found a voice at the school, which, right now, is all Black.

“We get to know our students very well,” Nelson told the Herald. “That means having conversations around who they are, their histories, pieces of their culture that they want to lift up, and then providing an opportunity for them to showcase that and elevate the issues and concerns that they care about.”

OUTSIDE THE 305:

Black Men Smile prioritizes Black joy in bleak times

Black joy is a must during a time that feels so uncertain for many. That’s why Carlton Mackey created the #BlackMenSmile hashtag. As NBC reporter Char Adams writes, the hashtag was birthed out of the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

As Adams writes: Ten years ago, Carlton Mackey, like much of the country’s Black population, was overwhelmed with media images of death, anger and unrest in the wake of Michael Brown’s killing. Ferguson, Missouri, and cities across the country erupted in protest, and social media users mourned Brown, who was killed by a police officer.

Mackey waded through the social media hashtags circulating at the time: #BlackLivesMatter, #MikeBrown, #HandsUpDontShoot, all delivering hundreds of results with images exuding sadness, pain and frustration.Then, he typed in the hashtag #BlackMenSmile.

“It yielded zero results. I was angry and confused,” Mackey said. “The hashtag #BlackMenSmile was an opportunity to take up a space that had not been claimed,” he said.

The economic state of Black America

National news outlet Axios has culled nationwide data to create a profile of the state of Black America’s economic wealth. A few of the findings include: Black people continue to hold a small amount of wealth; while we represent 12% of the population we only own 3.4% of the country’s wealth. But, we have increased our holdings in stocks and mutual funds, up 2.4% in seven years. Their full findings can be read here.

HIGH CULTURE:

‘It was not easy’: Black women chefs share challenges and triumphs ahead of The Cookout

South Beach Wine and Food Festival features hundreds of chefs, but there are two events you want to check out. On Saturday, visit Eden Roc Miami Beach for The Cookout, hosted by Chef JJ Johnson and Angela Yee, which will feature two Black women chefs Kia Damon and Taneisha Bernal. The women spoke to me about the challenges they’ve faced in a male-dominated industry and how they’ve persevered through it.

On Sunday, stop by Red Rooster Overtown for the Overtown Gospel Bruch hosted by Marcus Sammeulsson which will feature celebrity chefs and the sounds of The Florida Fellowship Super Choir.

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 February 20, 2025 at 4:11 PM.

Raisa Habersham

Miami Herald

Raisa Habersham is the race and culture reporter for the Miami Herald. She previously covered Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale for the Herald with a focus on housing and affordability. Habersham is a graduate of the University of Georgia. She joined the Herald in 2022.