Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., historian, filmmaker, and intellectual, has recently released an important public service announcement encouraging people in our Black communities to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their communities against COVID-19.
Protect Yourself and Others— Get Vaccinated
Tips for Creating a Casual Summer Wardrobe
Your apparel can make all the difference as to whether you thrive in the summer heat or not. Retailers have found clandestine ways to make their apparel appear summer appropriate, but don’t let them fool you. Adopt these tips for creating a casual summer wardrobe, so you can appreciate clothing options that offer both fashion and function.
Adopt a Style That Incorporates Comfort
Some fashion trends prioritize comfort more than others. Give yourself a more versatile summer repertoire by pulling clothing inspiration from different styles that promote wearer comfort without compromising fashion.
Popular Comfortable Styles
In recent years, athleisure has become a go-to summertime look. The boho style also makes a fierce comeback in the warmer months for its loose and breezy materials. The steps to building a boho look are easy, too, making it an accessible fashion trend even for those who claim they’re the least fashion savvy.
Reconsider Your Shoe Game
A stunning pair of heels might boost your fashion clout… but at what cost? Reconsider how you invest in your shoe game. Do you buy shoes for their durability and comfort or to color coordinate with that one dress you seldom wear?
Prioritize Fashion and Function
Plenty of brands maximize both the fashion and function of their shoes, so you can enjoy a night out without your ankles, shins, or foot arches paying the price. If you’re dying to splurge on a cool pair of kicks that don’t supply comfort, consider using a sole insert to protect your feet from cramping up or blistering when strutting around.
Drop the Purse for a Tote
We can’t round out our tips for creating a casual summer wardrobe without some accessory guidance. Totes make a convenient and charming addition to almost any summer outfit, especially the ones that lack pockets. A cotton tote can typically stow more than a purse, yet totes’ materials are less bulky.
Why Totes Are the Summer Accessory
Because most totes are canvas or cotton, they’re lightweight and commonly offered in a complementary, neutral tone, making them the ultimate laidback accessory. Because these bags have become so popular for everyday wear, you’ll likely find one online with a unique graphic print or design that suits your aesthetic.
Top Tips for Renting Out Your Vacation Home
Vacation homes allow individuals to enjoy spontaneous getaways and planned escapes. They are also a worthwhile investment when rented to others. Follow our top tips for renting out your vacation home to enjoy not only a permanent vacation spot but a passive income as well.
Choose How You Will Rent
There are many options for the renting process of a vacation home. Let’s take a look at the top three:
- VRBO — VRBO offers vacation rental by owner and gives online access for homeowners to place their rental on the site. Therefore, vacationers can search for the perfect vacation rental.
- Airbnb — This website works quite similarly to VRBO. The difference is Airbnb allows even a room to be rented, whereas VRBO is entire homes.
- Booking.com — Just like Airbnb, individuals can list any type of rental on this website.
Each site is user friendly and often used by vacationers when heading to their computer in search of a vacation rental.
Property Management
Every rental comes with some cost, even if you own the home. We highly recommend you include a full-service rental property management service in that cost.
Your vacation home is likely far away from where you live. It’s pretty tough to help renters in need who are staying at your island escape in the Caribbean while you’re shoveling snow in your northern home.
A property manager works with you, so the property is watched over and taken care of while meeting the renters’ needs.
Keep the Home Inviting
Of course, you want to design your vacation home to suit your taste. Still, consider creating an inviting atmosphere that remains neutral for all guests to enjoy. Here are some ideas to easily make that happen:
- Neutral and relaxing wall colors, such as white and light gray
- Fluffy down comforters and pillows that beckon rest
- Fully furnished kitchens for cooking gourmet meals
- Overstuffed couches and chairs that welcome relaxation
- Flooring material that’s stylish and easy to sweep (especially for beach rentals)
Unfortunately, renting your vacation home means you might have a lack of personal décor and photos. If that’s very important to you, though, consider bringing a few during your vacation time; simply take them down for guests.
Block Off Your Time
After preparing a beautiful vacation home for yourself and others, listing it, and securing management, don’t forget to block off time for you to enjoy the space.
On all vacation home rental sites, the owner can block off time on the calendar when the home is booked. Planning ahead assures you can enjoy your house to the fullest.
In conclusion, use these tips for renting out your vacation home to make the process simple and earn a passive income.
Island SPACE Caribbean Museum Set for Star-Studded Global Launch
Leaders in entertainment, sports, politics, religion join forces to share the Caribbean story in support of Island SPACE Caribbean Museum.
Plantation, Fla. (May 5, 2021): On June 27, 2021, Island SPACE Caribbean Museum will host its inaugural celebration and fundraiser, Magic at the Museum. A fusion of Caribbean talent, celebrity and storytelling will demonstrate to online and in-person attendees how Island SPACE truly reflects its slogan, “a place where Caribbean cultures unite.”
The Florida based nonprofit is working to become a destination, on-ground and online, and invites a global audience to log on at 6:00PM EDT for an evening of star-studded excellence. For free virtual access, RSVP at islandspacefl.org/magic. The whole family can enjoy narratives, performances, dramatizations and more from legendary personalities representing countries including Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad & Tobago, Cuba, The Bahamas and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. South Florida media personality Neki Mohan, of Trinidad, will host the program which promises to be both entertaining and informative.
“We are taking the dynamic, melodious, suspenseful, delicious, colorful and unlikely story that connects all of us West Indians,” said Calibe Thompson, Island SPACE Executive Director, “and packaging them into a captivating visual presentation. We have enlisted some of the exciting names you know from music, sports, politics and so on to tell the world how awesome we are, in a format with cultural relevance and substance.”
The hybrid event will welcome a worldwide audience online, while a small, select audience will attend the watch party onsite. Viewers are invited to tune in for the antics of the red-carpet opening starting at 5:30 p.m.
While the event is free, attendees will be asked to donate to the museum as part of the nonprofit’s fundraising initiatives. Corporations are invited to sponsor the event and will benefit from robust marketing opportunities. Packages ranging from $300 to $30,000 will allow for visibility across the diaspora.
“It takes time, talent and treasure to keep the museum operating and events like these are intended to engage volunteers, supporters and donors,” said board member Tamara Phillipeaux, of Haiti. “It is so exciting to see this space for us. It is a conduit for educating the next generation about their background, common strengths and their potential as citizens of the world, and we must keep it going and growing. We hope to receive donations even before the event and definitely during and after,” she said.
Island SPACE Caribbean Museum, located in Plantation, Fla., is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 11:00a.m. through 7:00p.m. and Sundays from 11:00a.m. to 6:00 p.m. General entry fees are $10 per adult and $5 per child. Donations, sponsorships, memberships and volunteer commitments are encouraged. Learn more at islandspacefl.org.
Island SPACE is supported in part by Florida Power & Light Company, Grace Foods, Westfield Broward Mall, the Broward County Cultural Division and the following Funds at the Community Foundation of Broward: Helen and Frank Stoykov Charitable Endowment Fund, David and Francie Horvitz Family Fund, Ann Adams Fund, Mary and Alex Mackenzie Community Impact Fund, Blockbuster Entertainment Unrestricted Fund, Robert E. Dooley Unrestricted Fund for Broward, Harold D. Franks Fund, and Jan Moran Unrestricted Fund.
Island Society for the Promotion of Artistic and Cultural Education (Island SPACE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of arts, culture, history, and educational initiatives that represent the Caribbean region, in South Florida and the broader diaspora community.
She Got it From Her Mama: 3 of the Greatest Celebrity Mother-Daughter Relationships
You know them, you love them, but did you know that these famous American actresses all have Caribbean mothers? These women gave birth to America’s biggest superstars of primetime television and the big screen. From Jamaican scandal star, Kerry Washington’s “fierce lioness” to Jada Pinkett Smith’s rocky relationship turned eternal bond, read on to learn a little more about the most inspiring celebrity mother-daughter relationships in the industry.
Kerry Washington’s love for Jamaican mom
You know her as Olivia Pope on Scandal, but mother Valerie Washington knows Kerry Washington as her only child and personal pride and joy. Although a lifelong resident of the Bronx, Valerie’s parents were born in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica but moved to New Yord long before her arrival. Valerie Washington and her husband raised their daughter Kerry in a comfortable middle class home in Bronx, New York, but they eventually sent her to a private all girls school on the Upper East Side.
Growing up, Valarie had dreamed of her daughter going off to law school and passing the bar, however she mainly wanted Kerry to succeed and choose a career she was passionate about, something not offered to Valarie in the 50s who was encouraged to become a teacher despite earning a degree in science. Although proud of her daughter, Valarie originally was scared of the thought of Kerry becoming an actress. These two might be one of the closest celebrity mother-daughter relationships that we have profiled. They are very close now, with Kerry describing her mother as the “fiercest lioness in my pride.”
Jada Pinkett Smith’s difficult road with mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris
As far as celebrity mother-daughter relationships go, Jada Pinkett Smith’s mother and fellow “Red Table Talk” host, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, have had one of the most complex. Banfield-Norris was born in Baltimore in 1953 and grew up as “black middle class” with Jamiacan roots on her mother’s side. Banfield-Norris had Jada in high school at the young age of 17, having had a short lived marriage to Robsol Pinkett Jr., Jada’s father. For most of Pinkett Smith’s early life, her mother struggled with addiction issues and was at the peak of a heroin addiction when she graduated from nursing school at Coppin State University.
The two have since mended their relationship though, becoming co-hosts of now famous talk show “Red Table Talk ” with Pinkett Smith’s own daughter, Willow Smith. “Red Table Talk” addresses multigenerational topics about sex, racism, and drugs, covering hard conversations and showing vulnerability and realness. Banfield-Norris has been in recovery for 29 years and opened up about her addiction with a powerful, tearful conversation with her daughter on the show during a 2018 episode that further emphasized how much their relationship has grown.
Zoe Saldana and “hero” Asalia Nazario
Best known for her work in the 2009 Sci/Fi blockbuster hit, Avatar, and popular Marvel movies including Guardians of the Galaxy, Zoe Saldana’s career speaks for itself. Born in New Jersey to Caribbean parents of Dominican and Puerto Rican origins, her mother, Asalia Nazario, moved her three daughters to the Dominican Republic to live with their grandparents in a safer environment after her father died in a vehicle crash. After spending her early years in the DR, her family moved back to the states, residing in New York with Nazario, who supported all of her children’s dreams.
In 2014 Saldana started a web series titled, “My Hero,” which featured stars opening up about the personal heroes in their lives. Possibly the most wholesome of our celebrity mother-daughter relationships is Saldana’s; the pilot episode was dedicated to her own mother in which she recalled childhood memories of cooking alongside her mother, and a tearful thank you for the way Nazario protected and nurtured her family despite facing adversity. Saldana and her two sisters are still extremely close to Nazario and love to treat her to spa days whenever they can.
Start Prioritizing Radical Self-Care Work With These Easy Steps
“Doing this kind of radical self-care work is sometimes perceived as being selfish only because we have constructed our personal wellness as being somehow outside of the pursuit for justice. That false distinction is probably the biggest lie we can tell ourselves. We have to know that being well is a right and not a privilege.”
– Dr. Fatimah Jackson Best
Now, more than ever, a cacophony of distractions pulls on our attention, making it difficult to focus on ourselves: from social media, computers and cellular devices to work, social justice issues and our interpersonal relationships. At its simplest, radical self-care work is about finding ways to ride these waves of life and not get lost in the undertow. The Crisis and Trauma Institute in Canada defines self-care as “all the things you do to take care of your well-being in four key dimensions — your emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual health.” Most of us need to do more of this.
Commercialized Comforts
In a 1988 essay titled “Burst of Light,” writer and activist Audre Lorde put forward the notion of radical self-care work while famously declaring, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence; it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
She further articulates that self-care has become synonymous with self-indulgence and the idea has been commercialized. Lately, even cosmetic surgeries are being marketed as an expression of self-love, as are the sale of cosmetic serums, spa visits, home decor and corsets. Although there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to a luxury item or experience, what Lorde meant went deeper.
In broaching the idea of self-care as a revolutionary act, she was speaking specifically about people of color and the way we ought to treat ourselves. In her estimation, for too long, people of color have been made to put others first, to their own detriment. Whether we choose to continue prioritizing others or not, in order to survive and thrive we must put in the work to first take care of ourselves.
It Takes Hard Work to Rest Well
Dr. Fatimah Jackson Best, a public health researcher from Canada who specializes in mental health and centers Caribbean communities in her work, emphasizes what she refers to as “The Actual Work of Care.” While, she explains, it means different things to different people, the narrow definition of radical self-care work as a pricey tangible like a spa-day or expensive treatment can disillusion those with limited disposable income.
“We know that these kinds of self-care techniques do not pay attention to class, access, and the privilege of being able to seek out care in these ways and that excludes many women,” she said.
Instead, an act of self-care may be as simple as the ability to find beauty in decay, the way an artist appreciates the rich russets and bronze tones in fall leaves. Approaching self-care from an elemental perspective — earth, water, fire, air — ask yourself how you can balance those elements within. Do you need to take a trip to the ocean, or can you create a similar experience in your bath, soaking in warm, mineral-rich water as you immerse yourself in your tub? Can you simply step outside to appreciate the warmth of the sun and breeze caressing your skin?
Perhaps, this is where radical self-care work really begins — having the audacity to claim the air we breathe as a gift and not a commodity.
Cultivate Your Own Healthy Self-Care Practices
Giving yourself permission to feel all your feelings, and finding healthy ways to manage those feelings, is self-care. You are allowed to be hopeful, joyful and cranky at the same time. That’s called mindfulness, one of many tools you can use to cultivate your own self-care routines. Here’s a list of other practices you can try as you build your arsenal:
- Set reminders on your phone to find joy, find something to laugh about or take a break to breathe deeply.
- Run some warm water over your hands, or splash some cool water on your face.
- Keep a gratitude journal where you write down 10 things you’re grateful for upon rising and at least five things you’re grateful for before you go to bed.
- Setting up simple spaces or personal sanctuaries with images of loved ones, things that inspire you or remind you of goals you aspire to achieve.
- Get a pet that you can afford to take care of monetarily and time wise.
- Create inspirational playlists on YouTube with your favorite teachers, music, poetry, artists and comedians.
- Journal using prompts that you find online, in books, in magazines or from your own intuition. One prompt from Iyanla Vanzant’s book “Acts of Faith” that you might try is, “If you had to tell someone in 10 words or less what you stand for in life, what would you say?”
- Get a daily inspirational book to read from first thing in the morning. It’s a great way to set the tone for your day.
The Best Professional Interior Design Tips for Creating a Multi-Purpose Home
In this past year, many of us retreated into our homes, reimagining both their purpose and their possibilities. The home is now much more than a place to gather with friends and family after a long week at the office; it is the office. And a classroom. And the gym. And the art studio. And the coffee shop. We spoke with interior designer, Maryline Damour of Damour Drake, for professional interior design tips on how you can revamp your space to function the way you need it to, while still looking the way you want it to.
Good interior design, she said, reflects the best of yourself back at you. Commit to yourself and what you love, and you’ll find the right style.
One of her professional interior design tips is to “live in a surrounding that really reflects who you are, not just aesthetically, but also in terms of your mood,” she said. “Are you the person that is energized and go-go-go? Your space should reflect that!”
We talked to her about three multipurpose rooms that could inspire updates in your own home.
Statement Workspace
With schools and workplaces shifting online, the home had to become both. That is why Damour and her senior designer, Mel Jones Jr., crafted this blended home office and classroom for their Kingston Design Showhouse in Hudson Valley, New York. With its bright colors, intricate details, and overall sophisticated design, this room pleases children and adults alike.
She adamantly pushed back on the suggestion that children and adults need to be separated. “Whether you are an adult or child, the room serves the same purpose: work,” said Damour.
Beyond the functional details, she wanted to create a space rooted in what the world was dealing with at the time. In addition to the disruptions of COVID-19, 2020 was also defined by historical social movements.
Originally from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Damour adds beautiful colors and textures that reflect her Caribbean background to every room she designs. However, the unique green wallpaper in this room tells a different story.
Created by famous African American designer, Sheila Bridges, this “Harlem Toile” wallpaper was chosen in an ode to the Black Lives Matter movement. The wallpaper features African American children and adults playing Double Dutch, dancing, and picnicking — blending the traditional toile style with contemporary experiences.
To complement the intentional wall, Damour chose a bright blue paint for the ceiling and colorful splashes of Haitian artwork throughout the room. One of her best professional interior design tips is to remain confident in your style. “If you are confident in your aesthetic, show that confidence by repeating it over and over. That’s what makes it impactful. And that’s what makes it look intentional.”
Moody Blue Office
Set in a Victorian building that hosts the Damour Drake team’s professional office, this railroad apartment showcases a deep blue shade of paint on the walls, a traditional rug on the floor, modern open shelving and personal trinkets from Damour’s life.
Architecturally, the room is windowless and fairly dark. Instead of attempting to slather some white paint on it to make it lighter and brighter, Damour worked with what she had. By giving in to the room’s inherent moodiness, the adjacent room appears even brighter and more airy while giving this room its own juxtaposed character and charm.
Not sure where to start in a room? Another one of her classic professional interior design tips is to “do what the room is telling you to do,” she said.
This home office also proves it takes more than a big desk and a swivel chair to design a truly functional, inspiring workspace. Instead of forcing the aesthetic of the traditional, this room should reflect your personal style just as much as the rest of your home.
“One of the mistakes people make is when thinking about a home office, they don’t design it like the rest of the spaces,” Damour said.
Beautiful artwork dons the walls of Damour’s office, but that is simple. By using her own pieces, she could showcase her design abilities and personal aesthetic. As an homage to her roots and celebration of her culture, a paper mache zebra from Haiti is mounted above a hanging collection of her colorful rulers. “That was a moment where I was able to do a little bit of an installation of my own,” Damour said.
One of her professional interior design tips is to play around with different textures, patterns, and colors in the same space to create something wholly unique. The use of bold color and modern, boxy pieces, like the clean lines of the shelves, help a whimsical antique or something as simple as a ruler stand out even more.
Zen Retreat
Many of us have struggled to relax and recharge in homes that have become crowded with so many other purposes. Damour offered this Hudson Valley Mediation and Yoga room as an example of creating an intentional, but still multifunctional, space to retreat.
The clients offered this room on the bottom floor of their townhouse, asking Damour to create “something very calm and meditative.”
She was adamant about not bringing in Asian or Indian references that are stereotypical of a yoga room. Instead, she focused on the calm and peacefulness she wanted the room to emulate.
She drew inspiration from a Japanese psychotherapy practice that sends people into the woods to lower their blood pressure and heart rate, reducing their stress level by interacting with nature. To capture that same feeling in this room, Damour worked with an artist who created a huge installation piece of greenery to convey a canopy of leaves.
“It was interesting to watch people come in. They stopped talking, and that’s the point, you know,” Damour said. “When you’re surrounded and just taken by nature. You’re just kind of being.”
Senior Designer Mel Jones, Jr., who doubles as a furniture maker, created the room’s unique, low sofa. Paint-splattered meditation pillows line the floor, adding a pop of color that still blends with the room’s predominant natural tones.
As an added feature, Damour’s team converted a small closet into a single person sauna.
How a North Miami Councilwoman is Leading Through Crisis
Mary Estimé-Irvin describes herself first as a single mother then as a community advocate, entrepreneur and, importantly, as the North Miami councilwoman elected to represent the people of District 3. She was sworn in at the Veterans Memorial at Griffing Park on June 11, 2019, excited for plans to focus on affordable housing initiatives, improve infrastructure, increase services for seniors and develop youth programs.
She also is the only Black woman and the only Haitian-American woman on the current city council.
“I’m just so proud that little girls that look like me know someone represents them,” she said. “I’m here to represent everyone that lives in my district and I serve everyone that lives here. But there’s just something special about when someone looks like you and understands your culture, regardless of gender.”
Leading Through Crisis
Eight months after joining the council, COVID hit.
“We just had to reimagine the way we did things,” Estimé-Irvin said. “Immediately I started serving our seniors, our most vulnerable, making sure that they had food, reassuring them. Calling my constituents in general and educating people. One of the first things that we did was provide relief [because people were] not working and businesses were closed. We immediately provided millions of dollars for housing relief, for mortgage relief, for small business relief — especially essential businesses.”
Although Estimé-Irvin and the entire city council had to pivot their 2020 plans because of the pandemic, she speaks glowingly about several of achievements. She sponsored an ordinance to create the North Miami Youth Council, which has offered several seminars such as one about college readiness. “Leadership is important,” she said. “And making sure our kids know what we’re going through is important.” She also served as the commissioner of the Community Redevelopment Agency, sponsored the ordinance to establish the first Women’s Commission in North Miami and sponsored a resolution to attract tech businesses to the city.
The North Miami councilwoman sees the city as a cultural melting pot. While there’s a high population of Haitian Americans, she represents Hispanics, Caribbean people and people from all walks of life. The area’s diversity also inspires her work. Multiculturalism, she said, should be attractive to tech businesses from California and elsewhere who are looking for new headquarter locations. So, she recently sponsored a resolution to actively work on creating favorable conditions for these entities in North Miami. She believes the city is ideally located between both major South Florida airports and is ripe with skilled job seekers, making this opportunity a win-win for both businesses and locals.
The Women’s Commission, which has not yet finalized its leadership, “would basically look at every aspect of life in the city of North Miami.”
“They are an advisory board to the mayor, [which is necessary because] women’s issues are everyone’s issues,” Estimé-Irvin said.
The Significance of Haitian Heritage
This spring, recognizing Women’s History Month in March and Haitian Heritage Month in May, Estimé-Irvin reflected on the significance of her current position, her heritage and her journey there.
Her parents, both medical professionals, immigrated to New York before she was born because of turmoil on the island. At the time, Haitian licenses were not recognized in the United States, so they started by working odd jobs. Her mother, a dental hygienist in Haiti later became a certified nursing assistant in the U.S. Her father worked as an orthopedic technician and later became a licensed practical nurse.
“My parents worked really hard,”she said. “My mother decided to move here, very near to North Miami, because it reminded her more of Haiti. Even though I was born in this country, I live like I was born in Haiti. It’s the pride, it’s the culture. When you come to a land of opportunity, it’s just [about] taking advantage [of your circumstances] and being a better citizen.”
It is important, too, she said to stay connected with her Caribbean roots. She is heartened to see future generations continuing Haitian traditions in Miami.
“May 18th is Haitian Flag Day. It is so nice to see all the young people, even though they were not born in the country, embracing their culture, eating the griot and the banann pézé — that’s fried pork and fried plantains. They are listening to compas, learning about their history, proud that we were the first Black country in the western hemisphere to have independence in 1804,” she said “That’s something we really take pride in.”
Around the same time the community hosts Haitian Compas Festival, drawing diverse crowds from all over the city and state. In North Miami, the celebrations of Haitian contributions to the world start earlier, typically on May 1.
“It’s usually a big event,” she said. “You get to see the beautiful art, the dancing, the food. It’s a good time for us.”
Along with her son Patrick, who is her pride and joy, Estimé-Irvin’s parents now live with her. The importance of family has been close at heart since her mother was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. Now, the North Miami councilwoman is acutely aware that March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, too. In her elected position, she’s begun advocating for early cancer screenings.
“We just need to take better care of ourselves, especially in the Caribbean [community]. Take the time out,” she said. “If anyone had cancer in your family, just go ahead and take precautions.”
What’s next for the North Miami councilwoman?
She’ll continue to partner with county, state and federal officials to better serve the city of North Miami. As she completes her current term and gears up for a new election, the focus remains on vaccinating North Miami residents and continuing on her original path.
“More workforce housing, infrastructure dollars, economic development, better programs for our youth, programs for our seniors and just making North Miami a better place to work, live, learn and play,” she said.
Meet the Miami Mayor Leading with Humility
“I learned something in politics. You may have power, but don’t abuse it. You can have the majority, but you need to please the minority at the same time. What you want is compromise so everyone can be heard. You need balance in order to create stability.”
North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime is a thoughtful leader who combines a businessman’s approach to governance with a humanitarian spirit toward his constituents. He’s guided the city through and to the other side of the 2020 pandemic. Now, after eight years on the dais and two years at the helm, Bien-Aime is seeking a second term as mayor. Island Origins spoke with him about his background, civic service and plans for the future.
A Persistent Spirit
Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Bien-Aime became interested in government after visiting agricultural fairs with his father in his youth and interacting with the political class at these events.
While Bien-Aime was a high school student, Haiti was experiencing political turmoil. During the Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier dictatorship, dissenting politicians were being jailed. “That’s when I started raising questions,” he said. He chose to study government and politics in college because he realized that’s how he could effect change. “When you see someone being arrested for his beliefs, that’s not right and that’s not freedom. People should be able to express themselves.”
A moment that stands out in his memory is when the government of Haiti sent many journalists into exile in 1983. Haitians were standing up and asking controversial president Duvalier to leave the country.
“I remember when the pope went to Haiti and said [that] something needs to change. President Jimmy Carter went to Haiti and did a conference about human rights,” Bien-Aime recalled. “Those two big moments made me say ‘Okay, I have to step up and be a journalist.’”
Deciding early on that he wanted to be on the side of the people, Bien-Aime studied at the National University of Haiti and later went to Lavale University in Canada to study political and social sciences. By 1995, he had moved back to Haiti, become a journalist at one of the country’s top radio stations and was a young congressional candidate. After an unsuccessful run, he headed to South Florida to be with his wife and kids.
Though Bien-Aime started his new life in South Florida working paycheck to paycheck as a security officer, his aspirational spirit would not allow him to settle. He accumulated some savings and decided to pursue the American dream, becoming an entrepreneur. By 1998 he had opened a 99-cent store. Later, he got into the car sales business, eventually opening his own dealership. All the while his focus never left politics, he said. He was giving to political leaders and engaged in political groups to empower the North Miami community. His influence had grown enough that, through campaigning and fundraising efforts, he was able to help elect the first Black mayor of North Miami.
After deciding to become even more involved, Bien-Aime ran for a seat on the North Miami city council in 2013. He won.
“For him, in this community, the people come first. That’s his passion,” said his wife, Sarah. “He’s really doing it for the people.”
He was elected vice mayor by the council during his first term. When the mayor needed to step down, Bien-Aime moved into the role of interim mayor from May to November 2015.
“He stepped forward and he served in that capacity, at the time when the city was in crisis and needed a leader,” said Leonie Hermantin, an international community development consultant and professional associate of Bien-Aime.
He promised not to run for mayor after this first term, opting to take things step by step.
“He kept his word that he was not going to run and was widely recognized and celebrated because of that,” Hermantin said. “He stabilized things; he did it with grace; he did it with humility; and I think that’s why he was so appreciated.”
After his interim term ended and another candidate served as mayor for four years, it was finally Bien-Aime’s moment. He faced four other candidates in his first run for North Miami’s highest office — and he won.
“My first mission in North Miami was to stabilize the city,” he said. “As of today, I can tell you I made [North Miami] a city for everyone.”
Representational Leadership
Philippe Bien-Aime has been a long term student of social sciences studying culture and people, which has helped him build consensus in a diverse community.
“Managing multiple cultures is not an easy task. You will never agree with someone 100% of the time.” he said. “That’s why, as a leader, I’ve learned my mission is to be an example for everybody.”
Hermantin was impressed by Bien-Aime the first time she met him. Her confidence in him grew as she saw more of his work.
”This person is different,” she remembers thinking. “When I heard him speak to parents about their responsibilities… he was being real, and they respected him for that. And the business community likes him, too. He’s able to work with both sides of the aisle. That’s what made me feel that he has the right tools to serve his community.”
In his mayoral role, Bien-Aime spearheaded several infrastructure improvements, mindful of the 20% of residents who live under the poverty line and the seniors who live on fixed incomes. Many single-family homes needed to be repaired, and so did city infrastructure. He asked himself, “How are we going to increase property values when you have dilapidated homes in our district? Do we send code enforcement, or do we bring assistance to the people?”
He decided to invest millions of dollars into home rehabilitation.
“Not only do we bring assistance to those people,” he said, “but we also increase the property value and tax billing [for the city].”
Throughout his tenure on city council, Bien-Aime said one of his top priorities was maintaining a healthy city budget, which would support assistance programs for people in need, improvements to city infrastructure, and initiatives addressing climate change and sea level rise.
Hermantin recalls how focused he was during 2020 Census activities, wanting to make sure people were counted so the community would receive appropriate government funding in the future.
“I have never seen any mayor as devoted and committed to getting people counted in the city of North Miami,” she said. “I mean, he was on every radio station. It was very personal for him.”
On climate change, Bien-Aime was proud that the city planted a record number of trees during his tenure. North Miami also was one of the first cities to ban the use of toxic pesticides on government land.
Bien-Aime’s team at the city planned to add at least 1,500 affordable housing units, but the pandemic knocked everything out of order. Ever the pragmatist, Biene-Aime said, “When there’s a crisis, that’s when your leadership starts.”
On March 12, 2020 the government declared a state of emergency. The next day, the city of North Miami followed suit. Under his guidance, funding from the community redevelopment agency went to the residences and businesses who were most affected by the challenges of the pandemic. Following scientific recommendations, they were able to decrease the rate of infection in the city. Officials also set up food banks where needed “to offer assistance to small businesses, those mom and pop stores, the landlords and the tenants.”
“Now,” Bien-Aime said. “We are making sure that everyone who needs the vaccine has access to it.”
Hermantin lauded his response to the pandemic, particularly how Bien-Aime’s administration sought to make its assistance accessible to everyone in the community.
“Some of the strategies to help people were really grounded on culturally sensitive approaches,” she said. “When everybody went remote, the city of North Miami was almost a hybrid operation because they understood people would not have access to the internet or the tools that most municipalities can rely on to communicate with their constituents.
“So they did a lot of drive-thrus. When they had their rental assistance, they provided in person assistance when needed. To assist with PPP [Paycheck Protection Program], they also partnered with organizations that could help them reach out to their business people, particularly those with less sophisticated tools.”
Family Man
Bien-Aime and his wife Sarah met and fell in love in Haiti, although not all at once. As a nine-year-old, she had a crush on him, but he was 10 years her senior so it would be many years before he felt the same. They reconnected as adults and have been together ever since.
“He’s a loving man, a loving father,” said Sarah, who beams when talking about her husband’s strengths as a protector and provider. “[Our three kids] all went to private school. I never [had to take] my kids to school, never [had to wake] up in the morning to get them ready. He even cooks breakfast for them.”
During his first run for councilman, she wasn’t as involved in campaigning because the kids were so young. During the mayoral race, however, Sarah quit her nursing job and canvased for him full time.
Their kids are all grown up now. One child plays collegiate football, another is just about to graduate college, and a third plays football in high school. So far, two have shown interest in following in his political footsteps.
Looking to the Future
His affordable housing vision, delayed by the pandemic, is now beginning to come to life.
One development underway will add more than 300 government-subsidized affordable units. More are scheduled to follow. Because these projects will require water and sewer upgrades, the broader neighborhoods will benefit from updated infrastructure, too.
Over the next two years, in the new term he hopes to earn, Bien-Aime plans to keep increasing property values while lowering taxes. He’ll focus on economic growth and job creation, and continue to improve the quality of life of his residents. He would like to see the 7.2 acres of land at Cagney Park revitalized, including the addition of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
“The plan is to make sure we have a balanced budget with surplus,” Bien-Aime said. “That’s why I’m running again in the middle of a pandemic. We need leadership to keep moving the city forward, and that’s what I put on the table.”
Meet The Uplifting South Florida Community Program Changing Lives
“If it wasn’t for GA, I would probably be in jail or dead.”
These words are the reflection of one young man about South Florida community program, Gang Alternative Inc. (GA), getting to the heart of why the group’s services are an important refuge and resource for many in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. As an all-encompassing outreach and social service program, GA is saving lives. In 2020 alone, its services benefited nearly 15,000 people in 83 ZIP codes.
The nonprofit evolved from a former church ministry following a pattern of high crime in Miami in the late 1980s. Incorporated in 2005, GA has evolved into a wrap-around service provider that develops resources to dismantle the “gang mentality” that controls individuals and families in South Florida’s inner-city communities.
Where possible, GA takes the approach of intervening with positive influence early on. Twenty-five programs on the organization’s current roster give participants the tools they need to improve life skills and build healthier relationships. This South Florida community program also offers reform programs and behavioral health services like therapy and trauma recovery. Beyond the initial interactions, they consistently develop and introduce intuitive services that support youth and families in implementing the skills taught through their programs.
“If it wasn’t for GA, I wouldn’t be focused on school,” said a young woman who described the organization as a safe haven. “ I wouldn’t have resources, and I wouldn’t have a family I could come to whenever I need to talk to someone.”
To change destructive mindsets of youth and young adults and to improve their home environments, GA works with people of various ages and their families in a holistic way. Aside from workforce development for the participant, they focus on broader issues like family strengthening, health knowledge and many other services.
Gang Alternative, Inc. is more than just hope for the better. They have numerous success stories that prove their programs work.
“GA helped me to stop being a follower and become a leader,” said one person who now gives advice to other communities.
To donate, volunteer or learn more about Gang Alternative, Inc., the South Florida community program changing lives, visit MyGA.org.
