Mountain View
Clayton Gutzmore
A rebound of the Vibes: Best of the Best Returns For 15th Anniversary.
The world is slowly getting back to normal, and concerts are coming back. Best of the Best (BOTB) is one show making its return in 2021. This show is the largest assembly of reggae and Soca artists in their genres. Attendees can expect Koffee, Tarrus Riley, Ding Dong, Alison Hinds, and more acts to perform their hit songs. This year the show is being held during Columbus Day weekend.
A Cut Above The Rest: South Florida Fashion Academy Begins Its First Academic School Year.
The fashion and beauty industry is a career field that can provide an excellent quality of life for those in it. Unfortunately, this line of work is viewed as Plan B when Plan A fails. People at a young age develop a passion for this type of labor. Now, South Florida Fashion Academy (SFFA) is a private school where those same people can learn the skills and go out into the field. SFFA is an institution that provides training in fashion and beauty, along with the academic fundamentals for a high school diploma and college credit.
Beyond the Barbed Wire: Literary Anthology Hear Us shares how Incarcerated Writers Survived 2020.
Exchange-for-Change Excutive Director Kathie Klarreich and Incarcerated Writer Eduardo MartinezCourtesy of Exchange-for-Change. Writing is an outlet that people used to express themselves. People have used this outlet to convey their thoughts, beliefs, and experiences. Inmates from prisons all over the country have written what they saw, heard, and felt in 2020 in the anthology Hear Us: Writing from the Inside During the Time of Covid. This is a literary collection of poems, short stories, and artwork from incarcerated writers, family members, and prison staff. In the book, they all share how the pandemic and the killing of George Floyd affected their lives. Exchange-for-Change, an organization that offers writing courses in prisons, assembled the book. Hear Us will not only make you empathize with those that are inside. It will share what goes on behind the cell doors, wire. “We need to understand what goes beyond the barbed wire that is closed off to us. This is the only book that we know of that gives people a broad cross-section of various states from the people that are affected,” said Kathie Klarriech, executive director of Exchange-for-Change.
The Magic Over the Years: It's A Miami Thing Commemorates Miami’s 125th Birthday.
The next exhibit entering the halls of HistoryMiami is going to be a nostalgic one. It's a Miami Thing is a collection that honors everything Miami in celebration of the city's 125 birthday. 30,000 artifacts have been gathered for this exhibit. Included in that number are pieces in HistoryMiami’s collection that haven't been shown to the public.
Hit the Switch: Opa-locka Light District shines poetry through street lights.
Courtesy of The Opa-locka Community Development Corporation. Back in the day, when street lights came on in neighborhoods, that's usually children’s sign to go home. Street lights usually just illuminate roads but it can mean different things for so many people. Now, in 2021, The Opa-locka Community Development Corporation (OLCDC) in partnership with O, Miami wants to bring hope and inspiration through street lights in their latest project, The Opa-locka Light District. Nine specialty lamps that project poetry from residents have been placed throughout the city. This creative idea not only helps public safety, but it also shares a message that can spark more light within everybody, “Seeing my work projected in the streets of Opa-locka was very humbling. I was more excited for the elementary school students because it shows that their words mean something” said Jerod Simon, a poet whose work featured in the light district.
Let's Build It Together: Center for Black Innovation announces recipients of their Ecosystem Builders Fellowship.
The Center For Black Innovation (CFBI) is an entity that has assisted South Florida Black entrepreneurs for years. Formerly known as Black Tech Week and Code Fever, the organization has brought resources to the locals who are serious about starting and scaling a business. Now CFBI's latest project is ready to make changes across the country. CFBI has selected its first cohort of entrepreneurs for its Ecosystem Builders Fellowship.
A Cautionary Tale: Reggae Artist Causion embarks on Thank You Mission to Bring Awareness for Colon Cancer
Artists throughout history have used music to convey a message. Reggae recording artist Causion, is using music to convey the message of health, specifically men’s health. Causion is an advocate for colon cancer. He is currently battling the disease at stage three. However, his optimism and the music are fueling him to stand and fight his condition every day. Causion's current state motivated him to launch his Thank You Mission.
It Is Safe to Swim? Wade In The Water: Drowning in Racism Tells the Story of Desegregating South Florida Beaches
Documentaries are a form of filmmaking that challenges conventional thinking along with educating the audience on certain topics. A documentary that recently premiered uncovered the history of Black people and their relationship to water. Wade in the Water: Drowning in Racism is a short film about the struggles of desegregating the beaches and the pools in South Florida.
Film Development: Miami Web Fest Returns with In-Person Conference for Aspiring and Established Talent.
The cast of Bae Night celebrating their award at The Miami Web FestCourtesy By Miami Web Fest. Original web series and movies are being sought after by Netflix, Amazon, and other movie companies. Rising filmmakers who want their material on those platforms sometimes have to go through several obstacles just to get a meeting with somebody from the company. Bryan Thompson wants to eliminate those obstacles and bring talented filmmakers and company executives into the same space. Thompson founded the Miami Web Fest, a movie festival where independent filmmakers from around the world gather to learn and network their way to success in the movie industry, ”Essentially Miami Web Fest is about helping independent filmmakers understand the industry they want to live in and how to capitalize on their content in a way that gets them to their dreams,” said Bryan Thompson, CEO of the Miami Web Fest.
Getting Familiar in the Water: Progressive Firefighters Host Annual Learn To Swim Program.
Summertime is the season of the year where everyone wants to get in the water. With children being released from school in June, plenty of kids will be making their way to the pool or the beach. With this in mind, parents want to prepare their children for any aquatic activity. The Progressive Firefighters Association (PFA) is hosting a free learn to swim program this summer for kids in Liberty City. Off-duty firefighters will be in the water educating kids on the fundamentals of swimming.
Hey, Are You Okay?: Broward County Schools Organizes Mental Health Screenings for Students
Mental Health has transitioned into the center of the conversation when it comes to individuals' well-being. With the 2020-2021 school year being mostly virtual, this was a challenging year for teachers, students, and parents. This school year possibly puts a huge strain on students' mental health. Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) decided to take action and implement a Mental Health Screening Pilot Program. This is an attempt to check in with the students so they are not suffering in silence, “Mental Health struggles do interfere with learning. We are removing these barriers so the students can get help for all the different aspects of their life. We don't want them suffering in silence anymore. ” said Cassandra Thompson, BCPS Mental Health Assistance Allocation Regional Team therapist.
Heed The Call: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Begins Mass Hire for New Firefighters
Becoming a firefighter is one of the most challenging and rewarding career paths people can pursue. Firefighters do more than just extinguish flames. They treat the sick and injured, educate about fire safety and teach preventative measures from fires. Overall they save lives. If these actions sound appealing, then your opportunity has arrived. Miami Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) is launching a mass hiring event for certified and uncertified individuals who want to join the fire department. “We need more heroes on the street. With all the things that go on in Miami, you only see so much on the news. The more heroes we have out there, the more people see what great of a job we do and how good of a job it is” said Jacorey Harris, Miami Dade Fire Fighter and former pro football player.
Clayton Gutzmore
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Clayton Gutzmore is a freelance journalist in South Florida. His work has been published in several print outlets including The Miami Times, The Miami Herald, The Atlanta Voice, and Variety Magazine. Gutzmore is a 2016 graduate of Florida International University. He is also a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, The Online News Association and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
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