The 44 Percent: Tulsa Race Massacre case, ABFF & Tampa Black history museum

America promises us a lot.

Life. Liberty. The pursuit of happiness. The right to vote. Freedom of speech. Equal protection under the eyes of the law.

But as history has shown us, these promises often don’t extend to the Black community. Such is the case with the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s dismissal of the Tulsa Race Massacre case.

On Wednesday, the court ruled against the three survivors – Lessie Benningfield Randle, 109, Viola Fletcher, 110, and Hughes Van Ellis Sr., who passed away in October at the age of 102 – of the Tulsa Race Massacre. The trio had sued the city in 2020 for damages under Oklahoma’s public nuisance law, claiming that the city had used the 1921 massacre to promote tourism. They essentially wanted restitution for having witnessed a white mob burn their community of Greenwood District, better known as “Black Wall Street,” to the ground and kill hundreds over a span of two days.

Wednesday’s ruling effectively ended the survivors’ quest as it affirmed a lower court’s initial dismissal of the suit in July 2023.

“There is no going to the United States Supreme Court,” attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons told CNN in April. “There is no going to the federal court system. This is it.”

What makes this dismissal particularly sinister is that it once again abates responsibility. As the legal team pointed out in a subsequent statement, “no court has held a trial addressing the Massacre and no individual or entity has been held accountable for it” in 103 years. That’s horrific.

As for the massacre’s survivors, they have already urged the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the matter under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007. But there’s a ticking clock. The two remaining survivors are 109 and 110. It’s not far-fetched to think that they very well might not be here when the wheels of justice once again begin to turn. And if that’s the case, this will be yet another unpunished case of racial terrorism.

They deserve better.

INSIDE THE 305

‘Elevate Black creatives’: Issa Rae takes on new role at Miami’s American Black Film Festival:

The American Black Film Festival is returning to Miami this weekend with a twist. Hollywood mogul Issa Rae will serve as the festival’s creative director, bringing fresh ideas like hosting a yacht party in lieu of a closing gala.

“As one of the first major festivals to showcase my work, ABFF continues to elevate Black creatives from the ground up, and I’m excited to join its co-founders and producers, Nicole and Jeff Friday, in that mission,” Rae said in a statement.

Rae’s career started on YouTube with her self-produced series “Diary of An Awkward Black Girl.” The program’s success spawned the HBO show “Insecure,” which earned several Emmy and Golden Globe nominations across its five season run. In 2020, Rae founded HOORAE, a media company that seeks to increase representation in various areas including music, film and television.

In the past, ABFF has had ambassadors. Rae herself served in that capacity in 2022. The creative director position, however, is far more hands-on from the beginning.

Gov. Ron DeSantis declares state of emergency for South Florida after torrential rain:

After days of pummeling rain, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in Miami-Dade, Broward and several other Florida counties on Wednesday night. DeSantis signed an executive order to allow for emergency resources to flow quicker and more freely.

“...I declare that a major state of emergency exists in Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Sarasota counties.,” DeSantis said.

According to the order, portions of South Florida received 10 to 15 inches of rainfall — affecting major interstates, roadways, airports, and schools. Additional heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast over the next several days.

Similarly, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava issued a local state of emergency Wednesday evening to better allocate resources toward recovery efforts after rain bombs slammed the county.

OUTSIDE THE 305

Lexie Brown makes inspiring return to Los Angeles Sparks after Crohn’s disease diagnosis:

It’s easy to watch professional athletes and be in awe of their achievements while forgetting their challenges. Andscape’s Jerry Bembry wrote about how Los Angeles Sparks guard has been fighting Crohn’s disease and made a triumphant return back to the game she loves this season.

In the midst of posting some of the best stats of her pro career this season, Los Angeles Sparks guard Lexie Brown can’t help but think back to one of her lowest moments that followed her injury-shortened 2023 season.

“I was in the weight room and I could barely lift a 15-pound dumbbell to do a full split squat,” Brown recalled. “I had lost a lot of weight and when I looked at myself in the mirror I was kind of unrecognizable. And I just started crying.”

The issue that left Brown questioning whether she’d be able to continue her pro career: Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation of the digestive tract. After being limited to just 11 games last season and undergoing three surgeries (with a fourth surgery necessary in the future), Brown, the daughter of former NBA player Dee Brown, is averaging 8.5 points and posting career bests in rebounds (2.6) and assists (3.4) this season.

“Lexie was off to a tremendous start last season,” Los Angeles Sparks head coach Curt Miller said following a recent game. “I’m excited about — if we can keep Lexie healthy — what type of offense we’ll have. I’m excited to coach her in the prime of her career.”

In this WFLA story, reporter Rachel Tucker wrote about the Black history museum coming to Tampa’s downtown area that will pay homage to the city’s rich Black traditions.

A new museum preserving Tampa’s Black history is coming to the downtown area.

The Tampa Bay History Center and Tampa Housing Authority revealed their collaboration to establish the museum on Wednesday.

“This partnership represents months of thoughtful planning, born of a desire to work together to share Tampa’s Black history,” C.J. Roberts, President and CEO of the Tampa Bay History Center said in a statement. “We’re proud to collaborate with the Tampa Housing Authority in such a significant and impactful way, offering Encore and the City of Tampa a new cultural destination.

The museum will be located in a historic red brick building which was once home to St. James Episcopal Church, founded in 1895. It is located in the Encore development.

HIGH CULTURE

‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ exceeds box office projections :

Five words have haunted me for the past week:

“Go see ‘Bad Boys 4.’”



Unfortunately, I missed helping bolster what amounted to an incredible opening weekend for the action comedy film starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The film pulled in a whopping $56 million in the U.S., $104.6 million globally, according to Hollywood Reporter. The film’s projections put it in the $48 million to $50 million range.

At least I know what I’m doing this weekend: going to see “Bad Boys 4.”

Where does “The 44 Percent” name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletter’s title.