The 44 Percent: Brownsville cityhood, Lando Golds and TPS lawsuit

This past week has had a flurry of news from a predominantly Black area studying to become a city, to Haitians filing a class action lawsuit challenging the ending to temporary protected status, and a profile on Lando Golds.

Also,we’re in the thick of summer and an intense heat. Please stay hydrated as you enjoy the last few weeks of summer.

The 44 percent will be on a hiatus next week.

INSIDE THE 305:

Will becoming a city help Brownsville and its neighbors thrive? Residents are split

Residents in Brownsville and surrounding unincorporated areas are seeking to determine if it’s feasible for them to become a city. Those who live in the predominantly Black area are divided on the issue, raising concerns about the process and if they have the tax base. But others, such as Kenneth Kilpatrick, said becoming a city would allow residents to make their own decisions without completely relying on the county.

You can create business districts in your city,” Kilpatrick said. “You can create entertainment destinations and places for leisure all within the purview of your city limits, I think, if you have the right visionaries and right people at the helm, if you have the tax revenue. That’s the biggest thing.”

Miami’s grillz pioneer and his son keep smiles shining across generations

One of our reporting interns, Cordell Jones, wrote about the culture of grillz through Miami’s own Lando Golds, an institution dating back to 1986. As Jones reports: While Eddie moved his business from New York to Atlanta, Orlando took what he learned from his brother to Miami to show the South his artistry and skill in niche grillz.

Now working alongside his son, Phillip, Orlando’s shop Lando Golds stands not only as a Miami landmark since 1986, but a cultural landmark for the South. “In Florida, getting grillz is your initiation into cultural heritage. It’s something that we really value in our communities in the South. It represents where I’m from, what I’m about, the people who poured into my story,” Phillip said.

Haitians file class-action lawsuit to stop Trump administration from ending TPS

A lawsuit filed by a group Haitians with Temporary Protected Status is seeking to challenge the Trump administration’s end of legal projections and deportations for Haiti nationals, Haiti correspondent Jacqueline Charles reported.

As Charles writes: The class-action lawsuit was filed by five beneficiaries of TPS on Wednesday in federal court in the District of Colombia. The suit argues that returning Haitians to a nation being overtaken by gangs puts them at risk, that the decision by Homeland Security Secretary Krisiti Noem to end the deportation protections for up to more than a half-million Haitians did not go through the review process required by Congress, and that the move was based on racial animus toward Haitians.

OUTSIDE THE 305:

Deion Sanders reveals he battled bladder cancer during off season

Former Jackson State University and current Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders revealed Monday that he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, underwent surgery to remove his bladder, and is now cancer-free thanks to a successful treatment led by his medical team at UCHealth, HBCUGameday reported.

In an emotional press conference, Sanders opened up for the first time about his months-long health battle, which had been kept largely private. Flanked by his doctors, he said candidly, “I had a tumor, and I had cancer. I had to get my bladder removed. But I’m here. I’m healed. I’m blessed.”

HIGH CULTURE:

TedxOvertown returns this weekend

For the second year, TedxOvertown will return to the area with a focus on understanding and respect for diverse viewpoints and creating a space for people to have meaningful conversations. One common thread among some speakers has been preserving Overtown and ensuring voices of marginalized people are heard. The event begins 4 p.m. Saturday at Booker T. Washington High School.

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 July 31, 2025 at 4:24 PM.