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Miami Herald
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘Telling our history correctly': Activist hosts Black history class under a tree at FIU
The Rosewood Massacre was just a short paragraph in one of Stephanie Borden's textbooks when she was in grade school. 'I did not get taught a lot of Black history from school,' the marine biology student at Florida International University, 27, told the Miami Herald. Slavery, Abraham Lincoln freeing the slaves, Martin Luther King Jr. and his assassination, and Barack Obama's presidency were the highlights of the Black history she learned in school. 'My learning of Black history came from my family,' she said. But on Tuesday, as she sat by the newly christened Black History Learning Tree on Florida International University's campus, the little morsel of history she learned of the Rosewood Massacre morphed into a full fledged lesson from historian and former professor Marvin Dunn. On a March 17 Instagram post, Dunn announced he was going to host a free class to anyone who wanted to learn Black history under a tree by the Steven and Dorothea Green Library. And he did it without the permission of FIU officials, he said. 'It's important now to stand up. It's important now to resist this attack on our democracy,' Dunn said. 'Most of my colleagues, if not all of them at FIU, are vulnerable. I don't expect any of them to sit under that tree with me, and I don't blame them. I'm sure there'll be photographs taken of who is there and reports given to the new president about who is who under that tree.' In February, former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez was appointed interim president of FIU. Her appointment was the latest in a wave of conservative, well-connected politicians taking over presidencies at state universities under Gov. Ron DeSantis. RELATED: FIU's new president in her own words: A Q&A with former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez Dunn's Black history lesson comes at a time when the state has limited how Black history is taught in school, a trend seen nationally as the Trump administration has signed executive orders to eliminate what they consider diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and threatening to withhold funding from schools that they find ideologically out of line. At the same time, FIU and the rest of the state's universities have had to weed out general education courses that include 'theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States.' Dunn, who spent his academic career at FIU, chose the tree as a way of institutionalizing Black history on the campus and designating a place where Black history will be taught, he said. Dunn said Black people have often used trees as a gathering spot, when in Africa elders gathered to make decisions and pass on oral history. 'I don't know of a single Black community that does not have a tree where usually Black men gather to socialize, tell stories, play the dozen, get drunk sometimes, but mainly to pass on our history,' he said. 'That's the tradition from which I come and I'm hoping that other universities will establish Black History Learning Trees as well as a model of protecting our history on those campuses.' Dunn's voice fought against the din in the open plaza as he noted the importance of telling such history before the assembled class of about 30 people: 'There's a temptation to sometimes not recognize the depths of the problems of Black people. We have to make sure we're telling our history correctly.' Today's lesson dove into the story of the Rosewood Massacre, describing the burning of a predominantly Black Florida town after a white woman, Fannie Taylor, lied about a Black man beating her, which incited a violent white mob. Dunn owns five acres of land in Rosewood. One of his neighbors in the small gulf coast town launched a racially-motivated attack against Dunn and was convicted of hate crimes. Dunn famously forgave his attacker, asking for lenience at his federal trial. 'I was raised in the church and my parents taught me to forgive, at least once,' he responded to a question asking why he forgave his neighbor. 'That was the motivation for that, but I did catch some heat for it.' Dunn also recounted the lynching of Willie James Howard, a 15-year-old boy in Live Oak, Florida, who sent Christmas cards to all his co-workers, including a white girl named Cynthia Golf. Howard later sent her a letter, which her father found. Golf's father and two other white men took the boy from his home, tied him up, drove him to the Suwannee River, gave him the choice between being shot or drowned. He would jump into the river as his father watched. Onlookers passed by and listened in while Dunn continued a few more stories of Florida's Black history, teaching about what constitutes a lynching and the history of Kingsley plantation. Students also received free copies of 'The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story' by Nikole Hannah-Jones. This is the kind of history FIU student Abigail Costello, 19, said she's afraid will be erased. She said she had noticed how certain terms were now being used incorrectly. For instance, she said that teachers in high school had started using the term 'indentured servitude' instead of 'slavery' when referring to American slavery. Indentured servitude involves a labor contract in which a person agrees to work for a set number of years with the promise of freedom. 'There's a lot that I didn't learn from school that I'm excited to learn outside of school in this space,' she said. 'It was just a lot of information to take in, and now I know I got to bring a notepad next time.' Borden echoed those sentiments, saying that she feels that there has been a push to remove professors who teach certain subjects and efforts to inaccurately teach history. 'Black history is American history,' Borden said. 'It all goes together. I'm sorry if you feel bad, because your history might be a little tainted,' she said, ' but that is where we are as a nation.' Dunn said he plans to continue the Black history lessons weekly and has already lined up two guest speakers including Shanreka Perry, whose leg was amputated when she was 12 during the Miami riots in the 1980s. Dunn encouraged people to follow his social media for when the next lesson will take place. 'It was important to me to make a presence, to make a beginning statement on this campus that DEI is not dead, and we will be here again and again and again,' he said. 'That's not a one off.' Dunn plans to tell more stories in other parts of Miami-Dade as well. On Wednesday afternoon, he posted on Instagram about the Overtown Black History Learning Tree, located in the Teach the Truth Garden at 901 NW Third Avenue. A date was not announced. As for Borden, she will make it as often as she can. 'I've learned so much and it [was] only an hour and a half,' Borden said. 'Whatever I have to do, come hell or high water, I'm going to be back.'
Miami Herald
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Black History Month events
Here are South Florida events commemorating February's Black History Month Feb. 1: Movie in the Park: Screening of 'Wakanda Forever,' a tribute to the legacy of the Black Panther franchise. Free popcorn available while supplies last. Refreshments sold on-site. Bring a blanket and enjoy; 6 P.M., Altos Del Mar Park, 241 77th St., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 1: Art & Soul: Celebrate the 12th anniversary of the social and fundraising event supporting the Fund for Black Art with an evening of art, cocktails, music and dancing under the stars; 6 p.m.-midnight; Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; tickets start at $200. Feb. 1: An Evening with Dr. Marvin Dunn: Explore the history and legacy of the Rosewood Massacre of 1923 through an insightful lecture and exhibit; 5:30-6:30 p.m., Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables. Free. Feb. 1: Stories of Resistance from Black Miami's Sip of History: Panel discussion focuses on the enduring struggle, resilience and resistance of Black communities in Miami in response to racial injustice. Features Miami-Dade County Commissioner Marleine Bastien; historian Lonnie Lawrence, and Dr. Adora Obi Nweze, president of the Florida State Conference NAACP, sharing their stories of the significant contributions of Black Miamians to social justice movements; 2-4 p.m., HistoryMiami Museum, South Building, 101 W. Flagler St., Miami. $5 members, $15 non-members. Feb. 5: Jazz Men: An Evening of Music and Conversation with author Larry Tyre and special performance by Young Musicians Unite Jazz Ensemble; 7:30-9 p.m., Miami Beach JCC, 4221 Pine Tree Dr., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 5: Awkward Dinner: Exploring Caribbean Legacy and Identity: Through food and guided dialogue, participants explore topics relevant to MOCA's exhibition by Andrea Chung and themes specific to the South Florida environment. Limited-capacity event; 6-9 p.m., MOCA Paradise Courtyard, 770 NE 125th St., North Miami. $55-$91. Feb. 7: Black History Night Celebration: The Black Affairs Advisory Committee presents the 2025 Community Award to Olympian Twanisha 'TeeTee' Terry. Also features cultural performances by after-school participants, music, rides, food and crafts; 6-9 p.m., North Shore Park Youth Center, 501 72nd St., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 7: Kilombo: Exhibition of large-scale documentary photographs, a tribute to the resilience and vitality of the African legacy in Brazil, represents the work of Maria Daniel Balcazar, a prize-winning documentary photographer and visual anthropologist; 7:15 p.m., Lummus Park, The Betsy South Beach, 1433 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 8: Soul Vegan & Seafood Festival: The ninth annual event celebrates Black History Month through the lens of food, drink, health, sustainability and fun on the sands of Miami Beach; 1-6:30 p.m., Lummus Park, Ocean Drive between Sixth and Seventh streets. Free. Feb. 13: 'Never Drop the Ball:' Screening of the documentary that chronicles the remarkable journey of Black baseball players who helped transform the sport from a segregated pastime into a global phenomenon. A panel discussion follows with Dr. Dorothy Jenkins Fields, baseball historian Abel Sanchez. Moderated by Tom Hudson of WLRN News; 6:30 p.m., SoundScape Park, 1670 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 16: Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion: Presenting West African Beats: One Song, a musical journey through the African diaspora curated by violinist/vocalist Nicole Yarling; 4 p.m., Miami Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. $37-$53. Feb. 18: Heritage Fest: Performances by local artists, sample delicious food from various vendors and jam to beats pumping onto the dance floor; 3 p.m., Adrienne Arsht Center, Thomson Plaza for the Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Free. 305-949-6722. Feb. 19: Time and Place: Multitudes of Black Experience in Miami: Panel discussion delves into the history and cultural significance of Black Miami, inspired by the work of artist Kabuya Pamela Bowens-Saffo; 6:30-8 p.m., Miami-Dade College's Padrón Campus, 627 SW 27th Ave., Room 201, Miami. Free. 305-237-7700. Feb. 20: Hued Songs: Building belonging, empathy and community for all, Hued Songs weaves and performs a tapestry of song and spoken word by an all-women cast, centering on female resistance, freedom and liberation of self; 6-9 p.m., The Bass Museum, 2100 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 20: Shattered Structures: Looking Back 15 Years to the Earthquake in Haiti: The exhibition focuses on Haiti's architectural legacy and its fragility as documented in photographs of buildings taken following the 2010 earthquake; 6- 8 p.m., FIU-Miami Beach Urban Studios, 420 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 22: Cuban Folk Dance Traditions - Exploring African Roots: Learn dance steps used in various music genres of Cuba such as Rumba, Salsa and Afro-Cuban folk, while exploring their African roots and cultural significance, with Marisol Blanco, master dancer and artist-in-residence; 2 p.m., HistoryMiami Museum, South Building, 101 W. Flagler St., Miami. Free. Feb. 27: Botanical Garden Groove: A night of music, art and culture, featuring live sets from PAPERWATER, DJ Duality, Pressure Point and DJ Dluxe, showcasing an eclectic mix of footwork, Baltimore house, jungle and juke. Also includes creative activities; 6-10 p.m., Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 2000 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach. Free. Feb. 27: Portraits of the Blues: Celebrate the legacy of blues music through live performances and engaging stories that highlight its cultural significance; 12:40-1:55 p.m., Miami-Dade College West Campus, 3800 NW 115th Ave., Doral. Free. March 2: Melton Mustafa Jazz Festival: The 28th annual festival features a tribute to bassist and composer Jaco Pastorius; Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater, 819 NW Second Ave., Miami. $20-$230.
