44 percent: Florida Memorial upgrades, Circle of Brotherhood, Miami judge
On Wednesday, I wrote about the Circle of Brotherhood's rally in the wake of their federal grant from the Department of Justice being revoked. One-by-one, leaders from other nonprofits and community organizations spoke of the impact that the organization has played in reducing crime in Black communities in Miami. Part of their work is training people to enter communities and defuse a situation before it escalates, in addition to providing wellness services.
It is a reminder how essential grassroots organizations are in preventing harm in Black communities and focusing on uplifting them. I'm reminded of this particularly having lost classmates, including one this week, to gun violence. In a city such as Miami, where Black youth are disproportionately arrested at higher rates and where Black residents are facing a housing crisis in South Florida, such nonprofits can be key in providing key essential services they wouldn't otherwise have.
As Olivia Eason, a Miami native who works for the Circle of Brotherhood put it: 'This is about giving back at least what I got.'
INSIDE THE 305:
Gun violence prevention group in Miami loses its federal funding
The Circle of Brotherhood could find itself without 30 employees after a federal grant they received was pulled. The violence prevention nonprofit's executive director, Lyle Muhammad, said his concern is for the impending summer. 'The most detrimental thing about being gone right now is we're just a few weeks before summer,' Muhammad said. 'Everyone across the country knows that summer ramps up in terms of violence, and it looks like we may have to be forced to ramp down while crime and violence is ramping up.'
Florida Memorial University partners with developer for multi-million dollar upgrades
Florida Memorial University partnered with developers Redwood Dev. Co. on a deal that would enhance the campus amenities and build workforce housing for potential employees of the school. Interim FMU president William McCormick said the school has struggled to bring in new hires because of South Florida's cost of living crisis. 'Even when we interviewed qualified candidates, they would accept the job, but then they couldn't find proper housing,' McCormick told the Miami Herald. 'So we didn't get quality hires on board because they just couldn't afford to find some place to stay.'
Blocked by Rubio, Scott for federal judge, Coral Gables attorney is appointed as magistrate
Detra Shaw-Wilder, who was nominated to be a federal judge, has now been appointed as a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Florida, where she will oversee bond hearings, arraignments and other pre-trial matters, Miami Herald reporter Jay Weaver reported.
As Weaver writes: As a Black woman, Detra Shaw-Wilder was seen as a worthy successor to the late Marcia Cooke, a pioneering Black judge on the federal bench in South Florida. A Miami native, Shaw-Wilder was even recommended for the high-profile federal judgeship by a judicial nominating committee handpicked by Florida's senior Republican senator, Marco Rubio.
But Shaw-Wilder's once-promising nomination eventually encountered opposition from Rubio and Florida's other GOP senator, Rick Scott, who refused to support her before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the months leading up to the November 2024 presidential election.
OUTSIDE THE 305:
Tyre Nichols Died. A Tennessee Jury Didn't Convict Three Ex-Officers for His Death.
'More than two years after Tyre Nichols died from injuries sustained during a brutal beating after a traffic stop, three former Memphis, Tennessee, police officers have been found not guilty of causing his death,' Capital B reported. This is a 'devastating miscarriage of justice,' Ben Crump, an attorney for Nichols' family, said in a statement after the verdict was read Wednesday. 'The world watched as Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by those sworn to protect and serve. That brutal, inhumane assault was captured on video, yet the officers responsible were acquitted.'
HIGH CULTURE: South Florida Soul Rodeo 2025: Black cowboy culture and live R&B
Beyonce's Cowboy Carter Tour is not making a stop in Florida, but people will be partaking in cowboy culture at the South Florida Soul Rodeo this weekend. The rodeo will embrace Black cowboy culture and blend R&B at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach.
Where does 'The 44 Percent' name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletter's title.
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