Sunday, May 10, 2015

The 70th Anniversary of the Haulover Beach Wade-in Yesterday. By Geniusofdespair


Community Activist Gene Tinnie who organized the event.
As part of this year’s ongoing observance of the landmark 70th anniversary of the official opening of Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, Miami’s onetime only “Colored Beach,” an informal Remembrance of the protest which started it all was held on May 9, at Haulover Beach.
It was on May 9, 1945, at this site, which was then was then called Baker’s Haulover, as the present-day beach and park were being developed by Dade County for Whites Only, that a group of courageous African Americans engaged in a bold act of Civil Disobedience, fully a decade before such tactics became the emblem of the Civil Rights movement, by “wading in the water,” with the intent of being arrested and thus bringing public attention to their demand for a bathing beach for the Colored population by having their case addressed in the courts.

Both the organization and the outcome of that demonstration seven decades ago (within the memory of some Miamians still living) reveal much about the Miami’s unique and special history, where the odious drama of Jim Crow segregation (sanctioned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1896, the same year that the City of Miami was founded, with Black men comprising approximately half of the signers of the Charter) played out very differently from elsewhere in the South, yet with some chillingly typical similarities.

The very fact that such an action was deemed necessary at all in the first place reveals that racism, discrimination, and social disparities and injustice were still very much a reality in Miami at a time when World War II was ending and servicemen, who had fought for freedom and democracy elsewhere in the world, would be returning home to a country where they would rightly expect and demand fair treatment.
I was speaking to a Black woman at this event (whose son is a lawyer) who disagreed with me and said Blacks shouldn't learn Spanish from an early age. She said "This is my country and THE HISPANICS SHOULD have to learn English." I said "It ain't going to happen (They have 60% of the population you have 20%) unemployment is at about 5% for other groups and about 20% for Blacks". I said: "See all those high rises around you, they are filled with South Americans. You have to learn Spanish to get a job to service their needs, i.e. sell them stuff, decorate their apartments, etc." Didn't register. It appears it was a big insult to this woman to admit that everyone must be bilingual and learn Spanish. It was pride. I said "Here is what you are doing" I walked into a garbage can a few times. So she was perfectly happy to stand on her principles even if it will just perpetuate the unemployment problem and hurt the future of children. If they don't learn a second language at a young age they never will, why doom children? I read the want ads today and there was a lot of: "Bilingual, Must speak Spanish."

I just don't understand. Someone explain it to me.

Enjoying Haulover Beach, most probably not knowing how he got there historically.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

More and more students are learning Chinese. You have to learn the language if you want to make money in business.

Anonymous said...

You tell the truth.

Anonymous said...

Lest we not forget:

When our ancestors came to America--Europeans, Italians,
Norwegians,etc, they learned the English language and spoke it in America.

Geniusofdespair said...

The days of the melting pot are over. Small groups get assimilated EXCEPT when the minority is the majority. The second language has to be learned if you want to work in Miami Dade county. My suggestion, if you refuse to learn/teach it: move.

Geniusofdespair said...

Besides, we weren't selling all our expensive real estate -- in those days -- to foreigners here on a part time basis. In the "melting pot" days they were living in tenements and had no buying power. If they didn't work, they didn't eat. It was an incentive to learn the language: to get a decent job.

Anonymous said...

Lest we no forget: so how are you going to make it happen? For 30 years or more most of the want ads have said bilingual.

Anonymous said...

When I first moved here 13 years ago, all the higher paying jobs required bilingual skills. Decided it was time to retire. I regret not taking Spanish lessons then but didn't think we would be living here more than 5 years. I actually learn a lot by reading bilingual billboards when I am stuck in traffic.

Anonymous said...

Way off base, when the United States of America Government's business is conducted in Spanish then we should learn Spanish or do like these spanish only speaking refugees did and Leave. The Great City of Doral voted down a measure to have spanish as an official second language. Genius!

Geniusofdespair said...

What does that have to do with anything. Read the blog again because you don't know what you are talking about or what I am talking about---- especially saying Doral is a great city.

Anonymous said...

www.mdpls.org > Research and Databases > Languages

Three Spanish courses to choose from:

Discover Spanish (cartoons)
PowerSpeak - Spanish is one of nine languages

and the best

Mango Languages - chose between Spanish (Spain) or Spanish Latin American. Includes lessons revolving around texting, romance, medical, legal, or basic.

Mango Languages has 65 language courses and 20 or so ESOL courses. FREE with an up-to-date library card.

Mango Languages rival RosettaStone.

Anonymous said...

According to one study, “The grandchildren of immigrants are likely to speak only English. By the third generation, only 17% of Hispanics speak Spanish fluently, and by the fourth generation, it drops to 5%.” – (source: hispanic7.com)

Anonymous said...

"But, even though the number of Spanish speakers is projected to grow, among Hispanics, the share that speak Spanish is projected to fall from about 75% now to 66% in 2020," Lopez said.

In a previous study, Pew found that third-generation Hispanics are more likely than immigrant Hispanics to be English-dominant. They say they watch television mostly in English and the same was true about music and thinking.

'Mama, would you please speak English!'
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/20/us/spanish-declining-among-hispanics/

Geniusofdespair said...

Read the post!!! It is about Spanish now not in 20 years and it is about South Americans moving in temporarily --that has nothing to do with your data.

Cato (The Pouncer) said...

I think Mark Bell can shine your shoes and cut your grass cheaper than I can, I hear heneeds the money (plus I hear he mixes one hell of a Margarita, though he can't dance the Cha Cha Cha to save his life).

As far as learning Ingles is concerned my parents speak English as do I as do my kids (war at home is getting them to learn Spanish). So whats the problem? Oh rich South Americans wanting to spend millions here and expecting us to cater to them in their language. When it comes to visitors and especially those with Mucho Dinero doesn't it behoove us to accommodate them a bit while they spend money (lots) in OUR community? Or do we tell them to learn English otherwise go fuck themselves? I only want to know. I think you do brush the subject in your post.

"GO FUCK YOURSELF." G.O. D.

Believe me I have tried, let me know when you figure out how. In English, Espanol or Francaise



Anonymous said...

Why was it important for you to point out the race of the woman you spoke to? How is that relevant?