More than 10,000 Black Miamians were surveyed about their needs. Here’s what they said

Secure jobs, safe and clean affordable housing, and mental health services were among the main concerns for Black residents in Miami-Dade County according to a robust survey conducted by a grassroots organization to help inform policy decisions affecting Black Miamians.

The Black Collective, an organization that focus on the political, health and economic needs of Black communities, asked more than 10,000 Black residents about an array of topics, including health, security and democracy, in an effort to address the needs of Miami-Dade County’s Black residents.

The organization, spearheaded by executive director and activist Valencia Gunder , spent nine months asking residents their thoughts in four subject areas – safety, health, democracy and vision – culminating in their detailed findings, called The Noir Project survey, in a 30-page booklet that summarizes the findings of the surveys and includes a “Black agenda” which details a list of policy concerns for Black Miamians.

The Black Collective, which was founded in 2016, is described by Gunder as a “political home” for Black people in Florida. Much of their work, she said, is rooted in electoral and legislative organizing, canvassing, outreach and leadership development, which was key in building trust with residents when conducting the survey.

“We want to be able to actually hone in on being known for speaking directly to Black communities and understanding the actual needs and the conditions of our community as thoroughly as and as often as possible,” Gunder said.

Gunder said she is hoping the survey will help guide legislative and actionable items for Black residents in Miami who have felt neglected or that their needs were not met. The survey was done out of a desire to determine what Black residents actually want after finding that other surveys weren’t as far reaching. The Noir Project booklet states that “to create a Black agenda, you must first listen to Black people.”

The survey consisted of 21 questions and polled Black residents across the diaspora and spanned 27 zip codes, going as far south as Florida City and as far north as Miami Gardens. Residents were asked to rank what was most important to them among safety and health concerns and were asked pointed questions about democracy and what they envision for Black Miamians’ future.

Key findings from the survey included:

• Black people surveyed ranked secure jobs, safe, clean affordable housing and fewer guns among their top safety concerns.

• Access to free medical clinics, food programs and mental health services were the top three ranked choices of concerns for health among Black people surveyed

• 60% of Black residents believed their voice didn’t matter on what was being decided for their community..

The survey was in part influenced by Charles Hadley , dubbed the unofficial Black mayor of Miami, who organized “Operation Big Vote” a national and local coalition of volunteers focused on registering and educating Black voters and increasing Black voter turnout that started in the late 1950s and endured for decades.

Moise Simbert, lead organizer for The Black Collective, said for residents that weren’t as engaged in the federal elections, volunteers also used the time to educate them on the importance of local elections.

“It’s just educating people to understand that, that yeah, you might not be so focused on the presidential (election), but there’s a lot of things on a local level when it comes to who is running your Clerk of Courts and who is your local judge – things that we don’t think that are important that basically channel our everyday lives in a sense.”

Simbert said the survey was conducted before the Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic presidential candidate, so it won’t reflect how residents felt about Joe Biden dropping off the ticket, but he has noticed a change in attitudes since the surveys were taken.

The organization partnered with the University of Miami’s SHINE Lab and the Center for Global Black Studies, which helped with creating the survey and data collection. Sannisha Dale , associate professor at UM’s psychology department and founder of the SHINE LAB , which does research about health disparities in different communities, said the survey reinforced the anecdotal data The Black Collective was receiving.

“Their angle is actually innovative because sometimes we ask people ‘what struggle are you having?’ but I think what struggles people are having is also connected to what need they see for the community and in the community, ” Dale said.

For example, the survey asked what three things could be done to improve their community’s health.

“I think that is a very pointed question to ask because it’s not just ‘what do we need to influence my individual health,’ but they’re also taking into consideration when they’re answering that my sister’s health, my mother’s health, my neighbor’s health, other people around,” she said. “It gets at what the holistic needs are versus just what I individually may be struggling with.”

Gunder said the next step for the group is sending their findings to local politicians in Miami-Dade County.

“We also are planning on using this as leverage policy and different campaigns that we want to build out here in Miami-Dade County next year,” she said.

View the Noir Project in full here: