Latest news with #CircleofBrotherhood
Miami Herald
08-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
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.
CBS News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
2 South Florida gun violence prevention organizations impacted by DOJ's nonprofit funding cuts
The U.S. Department of Justice dropped the axe on nonprofits last week, cutting funding for inner-city programs that focus on preventing gun violence and saving lives. At least two major organizations in South Florida were impacted by these cuts: the Urban League of Broward County and the Circle of Brotherhood in Miami. Community cornerstone Each day, as school kids leave Brownsville Middle School in Miami, they run into Circle of Brotherhood peacemakers in their orange vests. These are a neighborhood patrol with boots on the ground, stopping crime, gun violence and offering alternatives. "When we go into the community, I see myself," said Lamont Nanton, the Circle of Brotherhood's manager. "I was once part of the problem." The peacemakers are a cornerstone of the larger nonprofit, said executive director Lyle Muhammad. "It's a community-based organization — relationships — it's need-based," he said. But, the outreach is in jeopardy after the Circle of Brotherhood got an email from the Justice Department, saying their $2 million federal grant, which was awarded to them in 2023, was terminated. "Because it no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities," the email read in part. Instead, the email said it "would focus on law enforcement, protecting children and victims of trafficking and sexual assault." Soon, Muhammad won't be able to pay his 50 employees. "When we talk about saving lives, there are individuals who stop gunplay but there are others who prevent suicide," he said. "Thousands of lives have been saved." Julius Robinson wants to keep saving lives. He grew up in the Miami neighborhood of Liberty City and is working with the Circle of Brotherhood to be the next generation of community problem solvers. "It's Black men solving their own problems," he said. Meanwhile, the Urban League of Broward County stands to lose $400,000 in a grant earmarked for curbing teenage hate crimes. The Circle of Brotherhood told CBS News Miami they will hold a rally on May 7 to look for alternative funding.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Yahoo
The 44 Percent: Liberty Square, LeBron James, Circle of Brotherhood
This past week I got to visit two different housing developments in Liberty City. At the Buena Vista apartments, formerly Lincoln Fields, residents now have a new security service through Miami nonprofit the Circle of Brotherhood. Not far from there is Serenity at Liberty Square, which is the fourth in a nine-phase overhaul of Liberty Square, a housing development that was once plagued with crime. Twenty-seven families moved back into the property this month. The two properties tell a story of how Black communities are invested in and what is the best way to go about it without displacing or neglecting residents. At the end of the day, Black people just want safe, clean and affordable housing. Somewhere along the way, residents were put on the back burner. I've seen that story many times in other cities I've lived in. My hope is that Black residents in historically Black communities always are part of the equation when it comes to investment and safety. But reality tells me it will always be an uphill battle for the basic necessities. 'We are there to serve': Miami nonprofit hired to provide security at public housing complex Buena Vista public housing development, formerly known as Lincoln Fields, has a new security service courtesy of the Circle of Brotherhood. As I reported: 'In what is being described as the first program of its kind, Miami nonprofit organization, Circle of Brotherhood, was hired to provide security for a Liberty City public housing project. In order to reduce crime and foster positive relationships in the community, the management of the Buena Vista public housing complex contracted the local nonprofit which focuses on community policing rather than use private security or hiring off-duty police officers.' 'Rent is too damn high.' Interfaith group demands action from Miami-Dade leaders After hearing the concerns from renters and Miami faith leaders about eviction concerns as rents continue to rise, Miami-Dade County mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced a $3 million commitment to an eviction diversion program. As our faith and religion reporter Lauren Costantino reported: 'The commitment from the mayor came after members of PACT (People Acting for Community Together) laid out some facts about renting and evictions in Miami-Dade County. Last year alone, 19,000 evictions were filed, and there are probably more that went undocumented, according to PACT members.' It's been a decade since Freddie Gray died. His twin reflects on her brother, not a martyr. Fredricka Gray, twin sister of Freddie Gray, spoke to the Baltimore Banner about how she's coping with the loss of her brother 10 years after his death. Gray was arrested, shackled and loaded into a police van, but died from a trip that left him with a severe spinal cord injury, the Banner's Jasmine Vaughn-Hall reported. His death was ruled a homicide. Fredricka Gray talked about her grief with Hall. LeBron James makes history with his Ken doll *In my Barbie voice* 'Hi Lebron!' The NBA All-Star and four-time champ is now a Ken doll. He is the first professional male athlete to be depicted as one, the Associated Press reported, as part of Mattel's 'Kenbassador' series. The doll will be available Monday for $75. Black Maternal Health & Wellness Community Workshop The maternal mortality rate for Black women remains high with 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the CDC. That number is significantly higher than that of white (19), Latina (16.9) and Asian (13.2) women. To quell concerns of Black women and expecting mothers, FIU is holding a Black Maternal Health Workshop on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. at the North Miami Florida Blue Center to offer support and provide information on topics such as pre-eclampsia and nutrition. Where does 'The 44 Percent' name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletter's title.
Miami Herald
10-04-2025
- Miami Herald
‘We are there to serve': Miami nonprofit hired to provide security at public housing complex
In what is being described as the first program of its kind, Miami nonprofit organization, Circle of Brotherhood, was hired to provide security for a Liberty City public housing project. In order to reduce crime and foster positive relationships in the community, the management of the Buena Vista public housing complex contracted the local nonprofit which focuses on community policing rather than use private security or hiring off-duty police officers. The Liberty City public housing development has employed the nonprofit, which works to reduce crime in Black communities in Miami through mentorship and crime prevention tactics, since December. The organization formally announced the partnership at a press conference earlier this week. The press conference coincided with the University of Chicago's crime lab Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy's graduation ceremony in Miami. The academy trains leaders in violence intervention with the goal of reducing gun violence. 'If community violence intervention becomes an equal part of the public safety ecosystem, we can drastically reduce crime and violence,' Lyle Muhammad, executive director of Circle of Brotherhood who is also a graduate of the leadership academy, told the Miami Herald. 'We know. We have a formula that works.' Created in 2013, the Circle of Brotherhood is an organization led predominantly by Black men that works to address the issues of gun violence in Miami through community service, conflict resolution and educational services. Buena Vista, formerly known as Lincoln Fields, was built in 1946, according to property records. Residents have suffered from the property's poor living conditions in recent years and rampant crime. The 214-unit property is home to nearly 300 people, and has worked with nonprofits such as Overtown Youth Center to provide family and youth-centered services. Joined Development, which owns the development, hired the organization after five private security firms declined to provide security at the public housing development, Muhammad said. 'They are trusting a new process of reforming and transforming a community and not just doing business as usual,' he said. Buena Vista's property manager did not respond to a request for comment. Overtown Youth Center CEO Tina Brown connected the Circle of Brotherhood with Joined Development after recognizing a need for community policing. 'Our goal was really to ensure that residents felt that they had a voice and services that were very much needed,' Brown said. 'However, there were a lot of challenges with safety and security in this particular housing development.' Brown said when some crimes occurred, residents did not feel comfortable calling police or were scared to report a crime out of a perceived 'no snitch policy.' 'It was creating a tremendous amount of safety concerns for other residents, and that's why the Circle of Brotherhood was really sought out for things like that,' she said. Muhammad said his security guards call themselves community safety servants and work in three shifts, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., with three people assigned to each shift. The goal is to engage deescalation tactics during confrontations and build community. They are also trained to administer CPR and first aid. 'We are not there in antagonistic policing mode. We are there to serve,' he said. In the three months since Circle of Brotherhood was contracted, Muhammad said they have had some successes. But he said it's more than just deescalating crime, it's engaging with youth in the community. During Spring Break, the organization offered a week of activities that included swimming and field trips. Muhammad said having such activities builds trust in the community and prioritizes treating people with respect, even when handling illicit activity. 'We treat every individual situation as an isolated incident, but we are trained,' Muhammad said. 'The respect of the credible messengers and the individuals that we have, coupled with their training, allows us to, prayerfully, be able to always respond appropriately,' he said.
