The 44 Percent: Tips for Black businesses and Trina at SeaWorld

Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department would be under federal control and deployed the National Guard to the city, claiming it was crime-ridden and needed to be under control. The decision caught D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser off guard, who admitted there isn’t much they could do. “While this action today is unsettling and unprecedented, I can’t say that, given some of the rhetoric of the past, that we’re totally surprised,” Bowser said during a press conference.

Some have said the decision to put more policing in a community already experiencing a downward trend in violent crime – the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia announced D.C.’s violent crime rate hit a 30-year low – is a reminder of the racist rhetoric projected onto Black communities, particularly those in urban areas.

As Matt Brown with the Associated Press reported: “The president foreshadowed that if these heavy-handed tactics take root here, they will be rolled out to other majority-Black and Brown cities, like Chicago, Oakland and Baltimore, across the country,” said Monica Hopkins, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s D.C. chapter.

“We’ve seen before how federal control of the D.C. National Guard and police can lead to abuse, intimidation and civil rights violations — from military helicopters swooping over peaceful racial justice protesters in 2020 to the unchecked conduct of federal officers who remain shielded from full accountability,” Hopkins said.

An examination of policing data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics by the Prison Policy Initiative shows Black people continue to experience racial disparities still with regard to arrests and use of force. So, suffice to say, there is imminent concern regarding the entry of the National Guard in Black communities. And while cities in Florida weren’t named among Trump’s list of places he’s considering sending the National Guard (which coincidentally have Black mayors and large minority populations), it is worth wondering how long before Black communities in South Florida are even more of a target?

INSIDE THE 305:

‘Have to find a way:’ Black leaders in Miami weigh defunded Overtown park’s future

An $82 million planned park in Overtown is out $60 million in federal funding after the Trump administration sent a letter rescinding the funds. While that is a hefty shortfall, communities leaders are searching for ways to find the money so the project can come to the historically Black neighborhood that experienced displacement in the 1960s due to the interstate being built in its community.

‘Get your back office together’: 6 tips from the Herald’s Black business event

Minority Business reporter Michael Butler held an event this week offering tips for budding and current Black business owners. The event, which featured, Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce president and CEO G. Eric Knowles, marketing professional Suzan McDowell and Italian Vice founder Aamir Taylor. They offered tips on ensuring your paperwork is in order and how to market your business. Read a few tips from Butler’s event in case you couldn’t make it.

These Black Miami neighborhoods may become a city. How does that work?

Black communities in unincorporated Miami-Dade have begun the very early stages of determining if they should become a city. As residents contemplate what that means for them, I wrote an explainer on what that process looks like.

OUTSIDE THE 305

Danielle “Dee” Spencer, child star of ’70s sitcom ‘What’s Happening!!,’ dies at 60

Danielle Spencer, didn’t miss a beat playing the younger, sarcastic and witty younger sister Deadra “Dee” Thomas. But her personal story is one of perseverance: While a regular on the show, Spencer was in a severe car crash that killed her stepfather and left her in a coma for weeks. Spencer would eventually recover through physical therapy, and attended college while working on the show’s spinoff “What’s Happening Now!!” and eventually became a veterinarian. She died Monday at 60 years young.

HIGH CULTURE: Trina Stood On Hip-Hop Legacy At SeaWorld San Diego’s Summer Series

We’ve seen the viral videos of Trina performing at SeaWorld. Our next thoughts were if it’s going up like that, we need to be there. Well, VIBE Magazine reporter DeMicia Inman went to see the Baddest B*tch ) perform at SeaWorld San Diego’s Summer Series.

As Inman reported: Once the gates opened, attendees rushed to get a seat that commanded the best view of the 46-year-old hip-hop veteran. A sign displayed at the entrance warned that while the show was open to all ages, “please be advised that this performance may include adult language and themes.” Posted in bold, bright lettering so it is not missed, Trina shared that even she was slightly taken aback by the booking.

You’ll have to read the rest to see how it turned out.

Where does “The 44 Percent” name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletter’s title.