The 44 Percent: Protect Black women, Pulitzer prize winner, cooking in Overtown

Miami Herald

15-05-2025

I think about what Anita Hill endured when testifying against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who famously weaponized race during the Senate hearings, when he said he was being subjected to a 'high-tech lynching.'
I remember the leaked police pictures plastered on the internet that showed a bruised Rihanna following her abuse by Chris Brown. You would think it would elicit more sympathy from people or at least from his fans who blamed (and continue to blame) Rihanna for her own abuse.
I sat with frustration for weeks on end when people taunted Meg Thee Stallion about being shot by Tory Lanez, who has mocked and harassed her since the 2020 shooting. We've seen the footage of the aftermath of the shooting and the photo evidence of bullet fragments being removed from her foot. Yet, people continue to falsely accuse her of lying about the shooting and some have gone as far as blaming her former best friend for the crime.
This brings me to this week with Cassie Ventura testifying against Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Halle Bailey filing for full custody of her son following abuse by her ex-boyfriend and her father's son, rapper DDG. No one believes these women.
It's 'protect Black women' until it's time to believe them. Nearly 35 years have passed since we've learned about the harassment Hill endured and we still don't believe Black women or hold their abusers accountable. Instead, we antagonize them for simply existing and seeking justice.
When you say protect Black women, it doesn't only look like believing them. It means listening to them, ceasing microagressions, and providing them with the support necessary to receive justice and live any semblance of a happy life. That's what Anita, Rihanna, and Megan needed, and that's what Cassie and Halle need now.
INSIDE THE 305:
Broward school district to end universal free lunches, raise lunch prices
Broward County schools will not offer free lunch to its students, Broward reporter Amanda Rosa reported. As Rosa writes: Mary Mulder, the Food and Nutrition Services executive director, told the school board at Tuesday's meeting that the department had continued with the free lunch program in order to deplete a surplus of funds 'from the COVID years.' Federal rules from the USDA limit the amount of funds the district's nutrition program can have on hand. It costs about $9 million to provide free school lunch each year.
Miami native, daughter of Black historian wins Pulitzer for history
Edda Fields-Black, a Miami native and daughter of historian Dorothy Jenkins Fields, received the Pulitzer for history. She spoke with me about the honor, which she won for her book 'COMBEE: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War.' The book used first-hand accounts to detail how Tubman and the 2nd South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment were instrumental in what Fields-Black called the largest slave rebellion in U.S. history.
'It's a form of validation, almost, that these stories are important and that they must be told with the backing of the Pulitzer Prize, even under these very difficult circumstances,' she told the Miami Herald days after her win.
Will this soup lead to a healthier and longer life? See what's cooking in Miami
At the Overtown Youth Center, a group called Blue Zones is providing a way to improve the health of residents, Health reporter Michelle Marchant reported.
The cooking class is part of a pilot program funded by Dan Buettner to encourage a healthier lifestyle and is based on his research and travels through the world's five longevity hot spots, also known as 'Blue Zones.' Research has shown that eating healthier can decrease a person's risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, certain cancers and other chronic conditions.
OUTSIDE THE 305:
Woman Who Sat Next to Travis Hunter Shared Funny Story How She Got Seat By Mistake
A woman seated next to Travis Hunter on a flight to Jacksonville was pleasantly impressed by how polite and humble he was during a first class trip. She took to Facebook to dote on him like he was her grandson.
'Beyond the Gates' is renewed as veteran Black soap actors cheer its success
My latest guilty pleasure 'Beyond the Gates' was renewed for a second season. The Associated Press chronicled what the show's success means and what it took to get there: George Cheeks, the CBS chief, told Vulture last year the show was born out of crunching numbers: 'One of the things that the data made very clear is that daytime soap operas over index with Black women.'
HIGH CULTURE:
Trick Daddy with Bigg D's Band & Orchestra
On Friday night, Miami legend Trick Daddy will perform his hits with the backing of Bigg D's Band & Orchestra at Miramar Cultural Center. The black-tie affair will include surprise special guests.
Where does 'The 44 Percent' name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletter's title.