Witness recants statement in '07 graduation party shooting

It has been a year since Samuel Brown (16) and Michael Bradshaw (20) were shot and killed after a graduation party at the Polish American Club. Now, the main witness in the case is saying that police coerced him into saying 16-year-old Labron Brown was the alleged shooter. Kenneth Joel Edwards (19), who came to the police last year and was the driver of a truck described as one of the cars leaving the club, has recanted an earlier statement made to authorities. Check out the report in The Miami Herald HERE. This is sadly not a surprise. Also sad is the fact that 300 plus people attended this party, yet authorities have yet to identify a supposed second shooter. The case against Labron Brown gets more shaky as it progresses. But the ultimate sad fact is the AGES of all involved. Read more!

Miami's Hip-Hop "Movement" has some issues

Alright, I was NOT going to even go there on this subject, so this post if definitely for lovers of Miami Hip-Hop. It is becoming very apparent that recent episodes are causing serious problems with the so-called "the Miami movement."

The buzz has been out there all week on several sites. One side of the issue has already been on a local radio station to air out what happened according to her. Therefore, many of you may know that Jacki-O and Brisco (two Hip-Hop artists born and raised in Miami-Dade) had an altercation last week. Check out the audio of Jacki-O's phone interview with a local DJ HERE and HERE. *Note: the audio is FULL of cursing and repeated use of the "n-word," so listen at your own discretion*It is alleged that after some exchange of words, Brisco threatened to "slap the *expletive* outta" Jacki-O on the set of Lil Wayne's A Milli video shoot in LA. They are former label mates on Poe Boy Entertainment (Jacki-O is no longer affiliated with Poe Boy). Based on Jacki's tone in the video, this angered her somethin' serious and "the movement" is looking more and more like a dirty, disrespectful game (well, for some).

What is happening to "the movement?" Guess # 1: some OUTSIDE elements are encouraging artists to act out or say and do things that they normally would not to fellow Miamians in the industry. Guess # 2: people have lost their minds! There is a lack of respect within the Miami Hip-Hop scene that is not a good look on the national stage. Guess # 3: my people and my generation, we get mad about the wrong stuff. Please pick up a copy of a local paper or watch the news there is much else to get heated over! Whew, that's another topic...

Whatever the reasons, we must ALL agree that no verbal altercation should make ANY man threaten to hit a woman, or follow through with that threat. Bottom line, we all need to learn how to respect one another in and outside of Miami. Making music for your audience should be the ultimate goal; all the other negativity and disrespect is honestly getting old and boring.

(Jacki-O photo source, Brisco photo source) Read more!

Who is...Gwen Cherry?

Ok, this post was completely inspired by Ms. Vanessa over at Blogging Black Miami (hey!). Upon checking out BBM, I peeped the "People you should know" section to find a picture of Ms. Gwen Cherry. Now all Dade County natives have heard of Gwen Cherry Park and their famous Pop Warner team (more like dynasty!). There are also apartment complexes named after her. So I thought, hmm no big deal, don't know her. I clicked the link to learn that there is also the Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association that carries her namesake in our community. What many may not know (I know I didn't) is that Ms. Gwendolyn S. Cherry (1923-1979) was a monumental figure in Dade County and a trailblazer in our city and state. Here's a snippet of who she was:

• The FIRST Black woman student in the University of Miami law school.
• The FIRST Black woman to practice law in Dade County.
• The FIRST Black woman to serve as a legislator for the state of Florida.

WOW! That is not even her complete bio. Check that out on the GSCBWLA website.

And now folks, we have a new series thanks to the inspiration from BBM. Be on the look out for more of "Who is..." of Dade County. We must preserve our history and pass it along, because it is truly rich and that's a fact! We must also recognize those who continue to work for the good of our community.

BND honors Gwendolyn S. Cherry for her many contributions to Miami and the state of Florida.

(Photo source) Read more!

Parental Alert: Watch those flags, check those profiles

No not the flag kids give their pledge of allegiance to every morning before the start of a school day. A trend is spreading wide and fast in Miami-Dade County that screams danger. The newest accessory for many children in our community appears to be "flags" or bandannas of varying colors which display affiliation to a certain crew. Don't be fooled parents, it ain't no fashion statement, and definitely is not as innocent as it looks.

Last Friday, Willie Mathis, Jr. (16 years old) was shot and killed outside of the Roman Pub Lounge in Miami Gardens after a graduation party for one of his schoolmates. Willie Jr.'s MySpace page default picture shows him holding a gun (HELLO! problem) and noted that he was "Black Flag B****." A Miami Herald report also quoted the father of the victim as saying "these guys in red scarves surrounded him."

*Note: The investigation continues, and this is not an effort to establish a motive. This is also not an effort to blame this child's parents solely for what has happened, but to bring forth a warning through observation.

Regardless of whether Willie Jr.'s assertion on his MySpace page was true or any other reason we can think of, NO CHILD deserves to be killed this way, and NO CHILDREN of ours should be so ready and willing to kill another. This young man's tragic death is but one of the examples in our community today that should put all parents on alert and ready to take action.

This is an official parental alert for our entire community. WE NEED TO WATCH WHAT OUR CHILDREN ARE DOING! and in some instances, demand a stop to it. Remember the days when you had NO business in your momma and daddy's house? I do! Talk with your children; make an effort to meet their friends and associates and leave an open and honest door open for them to walk through when they are having trouble. Those "flags" are becoming a dangerous symbol of violence that apparently our children do not understand until it is too late. Social networking sites are a way for teens and adults to express themselves, but they are slowly getting many of them in serious trouble. Get involved in their tech interests as well. You know your child better than anyone else. If there is a questionable effort to hide things from you, something is definitely wrong (take it from a former teenager in the tech age!).

Granted, there are many very hard-working parents out here who struggle every day to keep their households together, and do the best they can for their families. That's why we all have to fill in the gap when we can. Although the year has changed, the proverb still rings true: "it takes a whole village to raise a child." Time to awake from our slumber. Social responsibility is not dictated by where you live...it is just that, our responsibility! Read more!

Public Defender to refuse cases?

You know that little line in the Miranda rights that goes a lil' something like "...you have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided to you" right (that is paraphrasing!)? Well, in Miami-Dade that may not be the case soon. According to a report in today's Miami Herald, the Public Defender's Office is considering turning down "most felony cases." Aren't those the cases where those declared financially unable to retain private counsel need a public defender the most?

This is apparently in response to the large budget cuts the Legislature has handed down this year. Governor Crist begs to differ according to the report. He claims the state's public defenders were some of the least to be cut, so that's a matter of numbers. The bigger question is where does this leave the thousands of Miami-Dade citizens caught in the legal system who need, and have the right to, representation? Is this another example of the state-wide budget cuts affecting Florida's most vulnerable citizens the greatest? Read more!