By Martha Cecilia Ovadia, Senior Program Associate, Equity & Communications
In advance of TFN’s 2019 Annual Conference in Miami, we’ll be sharing interesting and insightful resources that provide context for many of the issues we’ll explore as part of our 20th anniversary event.

Don’t forget to catch our weekly #MiamiSpotlight and #TFNMiami news on our twitter (Funders_Network) and facebook (Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities) feeds.

The ACLU of Florida’s Greater Miami chapter recently released a landmark, 52-page report that details the justice disparity between Miami’s black and white residents, warning that discriminatory policing erodes Miami’s communities of color. “When entire neighborhoods and classes of people are subject to constant arrest and police surveillance, the ‘collateral consequences’ of mass incarceration serve to weaken communities with already few resources, further increasing racial and ethnic inequality,” the ACLU writes. Download the full report here.

How a citizenship question on the 2020 census could diminish Miami’s political clout (Alex Daugherty |Miami Herald | January 25, 2018)

The Department of Justice wants the U.S. Census Bureau to ask people about their citizenship status on the 2020 census, and the additional questioning could lead to an undercount in immigrant-heavy Miami.

Undercounting the number of people living in Florida’s most populous county could affect how billions of federal dollars are distributed and diminish the state’s clout in the nation’s capital. The Census Bureau will choose whether or not to include the citizenship status question by March 31, when it finalizes the 2020 questionnaire. Read more here: hrld.us/2vKxw3m

Meet the 31 people who are changing the South (TIME Staff | TIME Magazine | July 26, 2018)

People across South Florida are awakening to the danger of climate change, and Caroline Lewis is a big reason why. The former high school principal has spent the last eight years educating the region’s vulnerable communities about its effects from the helm of the CLEO Institute, a nonprofit she founded. At the heart of CLEO’s work is Lewis’ training of local leaders in the science and policy of global warming, so they can spread the word in their communities. CLEO also helped found the Miami Climate Alliance, which has planned marches and helped shape local environmental policy. Some areas in South Florida have already seen a spike in flooding thanks to climate change, and the problem is only expected to worsen as sea levels rise—so the need for Lewis’ work will only increase too. Read more here: https://ti.me/2vkJOQD

‘We’re treated as an anomaly.’ Black developers discuss barriers in Miami real estate (Rob Wile | Miami Herald | August 13, 2018)

It’s hard enough being a developer in South Florida, one of the most cut-throat real estate markets anywhere.

Being a black developer here does not make the job easier.

On Thursday, five black real estate investors invited by the South Florida Black Economic Forum discussed the issues they face.

Read more here: https://hrld.us/2Ou3A39

Little Haiti marketplace creating a hub for commerce and culture (Nadege Green | WLRN | August 2, 2018)

For years, the Caribbean Marketplace in Little Haiti, also known as Mache Ayisyen, sat empty and in disrepair.

Part of the problem was attracting both vendors and people to shop. That is starting to change. Read more here: https://bit.ly/2MhKoJq

Augmented-reality mural in Miami warns of climate-change danger (Leslie Ovalle| Miami Herald | February 5, 2018)

A patient audience on Saturday night waited on the sidewalk along North Miami Avenue in front of the Historic City of Miami Cemetery for the unveiling of an augmented-reality mural depicting the dangers of climate change to South Florida.

“Miami is indeed a ‘canary in the coal mine’ with respect to the effects of sea level rise. I love this city very much, lived here most of my life, so it is an honor to be involved in a project to raise awareness on this issue by mixing augmented reality with mural art. We owe it to future generations to take action now while there is still time,” said Juan Carlos Gallo, a digital designer for Miami Murals. “Our local government also recognizes this, so there’s an opportunity for the people and the government to come together.” Read more here: https://hrld.us/2LOqPbg

About the Author

Martha Cecilia Ovadia is TFN’s senior program associate for equity and communications. Contact her at marci@www.fundersnetwork.org.