It's the first show of 2019!
A new report by the Brookings Instituteexamined the devaluation of black assets across America. It found that a home in a majority black community, with similar characteristics and amenities to a home in a majority white neighborhood, is worth $48,000 less. Researchers looked at many of the factors considered by homebuyers -- the number of rooms, crime rates in the neighborhood and walkability. They narrowed the data down to metro regions. South Florida’s black communities are experiencing similar devaluation to the national average. Andre M. Perry is a David M. Rubenstein fellow at Brookings and the lead author on the report. He joined Sundial to discuss the major impact these findings from the report for South Florida specifically.
READ MORE: Study: Homes In South Florida's Black Neighborhoods Are Undervalued
Next, we took a look at the history of hip-hop music and culture in South Florida. Nova Southeastern University Art Museum is hosting an all-day symposium addressing the expansion of the genre in South Florida in the 1980s. They will have featured artist and performers to explain the fusion of the music and dance that makes it unique to this region. Kandy Lopez is a professor of visual arts at Nova Southeastern with a focus on disadvantaged communities of color. Luis Gispert is an American sculptor and photographer who’s documented the hip-hop community through the arts. And William Cordova is an artist from Peru and also a cultural practitioner. They joined Sundial for a preview of the event and brief hip-hop history lesson.
Last, the 3rd annual South Beach Jazz Festival kicks off Thursday, Jan.3 with a series of free shows and paid performances happening across Miami Beach. The festival was started by Miami Beach native David New, who became blind after suffering from a rare illness caused by AIDS. New wanted to raise awareness surrounding those with disabilities and illnesses, so all musicians at the festival are directly connected to someone with a disability/illness or suffering from it themselves. “There’s something about music that transcends illness and pain and brings people together,” he says. New joined Sundial to talk about the festival along with local performer and drummer of the Weather Underground, Jonathan Joseph who is recovering from prostate cancer.