On this Monday, June 13, edition of Sundial:
Students march for gun reform
People gathered in Parkland this Saturday, demanding politicians act on gun control measures.
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It’s been over four years since the first March For Our Lives happened in South Florida.
They were prompted by the death of their classmates and faculty at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
Now, after the murders of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde Texas — and the string of other recent mass shootings in the United States — the March For Our Lives Movement in Parkland took to the pavement. Students, parents and teachers felt the need to rally once again against gun violence.
WLRN reporters Kate Payne and Gerard Albert III were at this past weekend's march. They joined Sundial to discuss what they saw and the impact of the protest. Find more of their reporting about the protests here.
North Miami goes from debt to surplus
The pandemic made many things harder for municipalities: Generating revenues, providing services, and even keeping employees. Let alone putting on the events that help people feel connected to their communities, like annual Thanksgiving parades and Easter Egg hunts.
There were a few cities in South Florida facing serious financial challenges, like big deficits, and those challenges were exacerbated by COVID. That’s problematic because the state could intervene if a city can’t get its finances in order.
North Miami was one of those cities having challenges with money and its annual budgets.
However, that changed when Theresa Therilus took over as City Manager in 2020.
She helped the city cut expenses and drastically turn around the budget.
Therilus joined Sundial to explain how she did it. We spoke about what cuts she made, what she didn't sacrifice, and how funds from the American Rescue Plan Act helped her stay on track with her financial goals as a city leader.
‘Queer Caribbeans’
You might’ve noticed a little more color this time of year.
Rainbow flags, banners, signs … maybe even rainbow socks. It’s Pride Month — time when the LGBTQ+ community celebrates around the country.
Here in South Florida, the Caribbean queer community is honoring the pioneers of this movement in the region.
G. Wright Muir is the co-founder and board vice president of Black LGBTQ+ Liberation, Inc. And Calibe Thompson is the co-founder and board president of Island SPACE Caribbean Museum in Broward. They joined Sundial to discuss two exhibits open in Broward that are at the heart of this celebration.
One of the exhibits is the “Thou Art Woman: Liberation Art Exhibition,” which is in the Fort Lauderdale City Hall lobby and will be up through the end of June.
The other is the “Queer Caribbeans: Resilience, Resistance and Reimagining exhibition” at Island SPACE Caribbean Museum. A number of Caribbean LGBTQ+ advocates shared their stories for this project.
Find more information about the exhibits and upcoming events here.
