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Overtown past
- deliberately planted to provide labor for
the railroad and developing communities
- deliberately segregated, the 2nd place African Americans
could live in Miami-Dade County
- deliberately became self-sufficient and achieved a
reputation as Black Miami’s showcase, centerpiece
and mecca
- Entertainment
- Shops
- Grocers
- Law offices
- Hospital
- Churches
- Social clubs
- Civic associations
- deliberately targeted as the site for constructing
I 95, I 195, SR 836, the major east west thoroughfare,
and later the Metrorail that further dissected the community
and displaced countless families.
Overtown present
- poorest community in FL
- decaying housing conditions, uncoordinated social
services, failing schools
- rising rates of juvenile crime, teen pregnancies,
unemployment, underemployment, substance abuse, domestic
violence, and single parent households
- apathy, despair, hopelessness
NOT A PLEASANT PICTURE
Inject TML, and by extension, you all, into this environment.
Let the words of Jeremiah 29:11 become familiar to you:
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the
Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans
to give you a future and a hope.”
(By the way, remember this plan involves each one of
YOU)
We began work in Ovetown with an After School Program
and summer camp. We now have programming 3 days a week
for children, one afternoon a week for youth and various
times for adults. As God led us, we intensified our
efforts and broadened our ministries to be holistic,
addressing the needs of the entire family.
The housing project we primarily work in has 226 units,
with 16 of them empty. With uncertainty about budget
cuts, and the high rate of vandalism, the housing manager
is often discouraged as he invests resources in the
vacancies, only to have to refurbish them again and
again. As Pastor White mentioned yesterday, Miami’s
demographics change rapidly and in the one entirely
African-American community, we are seeing an increase
of Hispanic families. This brings a different sort of
tension to our residents.
Overtown today is a wonderfully challenging place to
work. As “outsiders” and “newcomers”
we are slowly being allowed to see and hear what’s
really going one. Just shy of 2 weeks ago there was
a murder in the park, the 6th in 4 years. The children
got out of school before the body was removed and they
all saw what none of us should ever see. In an effort
to help the children process through their feelings,
Natalie had and opportunity to address them during the
ASP the next afternoon. As it so happened, Natalie had
been doing a series of lessons about Moses and was at
the point in Moses’ life when he killed the Egyptian.
A natural time to discuss anger, violence, murder and
running away from God.
The children had a chance to verbalize their feelings,
which included anger, sadness, and an unnamed feeling
they couldn’t quite identify.
The youth had a presentation of a conflict resolved
with violence then re-enacted using conflict resolution
and anger management skills. Then our youth improvised
their own skit, avoiding the use of violence.
The adults also have voiced feelings of frustration
and fear, and anger that the shooting endangered all
who were around at the time. They are angry there was
no respect for human life shown at all.
There may be no resolution, but at least people are
talking, and talking to us, which is a victory in its
own right.
Overtown future – I asked some adults we work
with what would they say to you. So I bring you their
words. The first response is SAVE THE CHILDREN, someone
has to control the kids! The next response: help us
gather and get more people to be more friendly to each
other.
As Natalie asked the children who was right, MLK, Jr,
who advocated non-violence, or Malcolm X who said freedom
by any means possible? The children debated back and
forth, 2 for peace and 4 for a compromise of both methods.
She then asked, “what would MLK, Jr have said
to the man who was shooting the other?” After
thinking about it awhile, one boy spoke out in his psuedo
deep voice, “I have a dream, that one day there
will be no shooting in the park.” To which I challenge
you – What is God telling you about your part
in making this dream a reality.” And how will
you be a part of Overtown’s future?
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