Category: Articles

Small & Black Owned Businesses

by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Articles, Feature

Support The Little Guys

By Rhobie Toussaint

Original published on The Harbinger

It is no secret that COVID-19 drastically impacted many things – the way people perform everyday tasks, the concept of “normal,” and the economy. And in the midst of it all, small businesses took a hard hit. By May 2020, thirty million unemployment claims were made, many being from small businesses.

Hence, there are many reasons why customers should support small/Black businesses.

Support for a small/Black is support for their communities. With the coronavirus bringing an economic crisis to many, small businesses have suffered greatly. When a small business suffers, so does the community and the workers involved. There have been over 100,000 small businesses that closed as a result of COVID-19 and its economic impact, according to the Washington Post.

Thus, supporting different businesses that may not have the resources to survive an economic crisis would greatly benefit them, as well as different communities.

Many small Black-owned businesses manufacture/sell a wide variety of items, from clothing to hair products. Support for these businesses will not only help them flourish and succeed, it will also play a role in closing the racial wealth gap that is still so prominent in American society.

The Brooking Institution found that in 2016, a typical white family’s net worth is around ten times more than the net worth of a typical Black family, further showing how the support of Black-owned businesses has a correlation to closing the wide racial gap.

Small businesses usually have a more personal, ‘homey’ feel. Owners of small/Black-owned businesses take the time to send their products in a package that is carefully packaged with a personal message of how much they appreciate the purchase. These hard-working individuals put their love, appreciation, and effort into every single package and add their own personal touch to it.

“Owners of small businesses are usually doing something that they are passionate about. I think it’s why they put so much detail into their products and their packaging. The ‘thank you’ notes I receive from them when I order something feel meaningful and genuine,” said Laudith De Los Santos, a senior at MLEC.

These small businesses are often passion projects or for a good cause. Behind many small owned or Black businesses is a story of wanting to create change or doing something in their community that has not been done before. As a result, owners of these businesses, and the work that they do, are fueled by their passion, making the support for them that more important.

Kaylin Berner, a music therapist in South Florida, is an example of someone using their passion and their business to help others.

“I do two different categories of music therapy. We do a broad range, this is something I do…It’s cool to be able to provide those services. A lot of the time these people wouldn’t have the opportunity to get into music but this offers them a chance.”

Berner is a music therapist who aims to advocate for those who are disabled people by providing them with “normal” therapy — but also taking the time to innovate different kinds of treatment. Her small business is an example of genuity and true allyship for the betterment of society.

Small/Black business owners generally put a lot of care into the work that they do, all while trying to provide consumers with quality products. Unfortunately, the economic crises caused by COVID-19 caused a lot of these businesses to close down, which is why the support for them is more important than ever.

Small and Black-owned businesses are essential in so many ways; it is time that we support them in the way that they always support us.

Although this article was originally published in December, it is still as important to support small and Black owned businesses. They put a lot of time, effort, and care into the products they create, as well as the services they provide.

Later this week, I will be promoting different Black owned businesses on my Instagram page @inmyoptimisticmind, so if you’re at a lost of where to start, you can definitely check it out.

All the love,

Rhobie

Change-makers

by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Articles, News

The Racial Revolution – Young Activists Making A Difference

By Rhobie Toussaint

Originally Published on The Harbinger

Imagine seeing someone of your demographic being murdered by a police officer: one that should have been a civil servant of the people, and ultimately, the embodiment of law and order.

Political commentaries, memes across social media, class discussions, and even revolutionary black lives matter protests unleash in unison, taking the media by storm soon after. Coming across new stories and numerous posts on social media about their deaths, among them are comments calling him a thief – an irresponsible alcoholic who merited his downfall. 

Now, imagine seeing that content almost every day for months straight. This is exactly what kids, teens, and young adults in the Black community have been facing. 

Yet again, the urgent outcries of minorities – the advancing resistance that was always present between push and turns – goes ignored under a system of ingrained racism. It is no surprise that viewing these malicious acts, from time and again, has taken a toll on the minority youth.

“Seeing these things affect my mental health drastically. I don’t want to use the word “depressed,” but it did kind of make me feel depressed, and it enraged me simultaneously,” said David Way, an MLEC alumnus.

Among these “things” is the video of a police officer who subdued a Black man, George Floyd, with a knee on his neck for eight minutes. He was motionless, without a pulse, for the last three minutes of unwarranted restraint.  

 “When I looked at the video of George Floyd, I was so sad… sad alone isn’t even the right word. I was sad and mad. I felt helpless. I wanted to honestly scream,” said Gabrielle Forbes, a rising senior at Dr. Michael Krop Senior High School.

Like many of the videos of the killing of Black People on the internet, the video of George Floyd was also something that brought a feeling of fear within a lot of Black youth. Many ponder how that could have easily been them, their father, brother or another relative. 

“Seeing the George Floyd video, my immediate emotion was fear. I don’t live a fearful life but definitely felt it while seeing that transpire and seeing how the police have that much power,” said Akil Cole, recent graduate of Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School. 

While the viewing of these kinds of contact did take a mental toll on the youth of the Black Community, these individuals used that fear, anger, and sadness to show initiative and take a stand – like many of their counterparts. 

“After seeing that video, I felt like not being explicit about where I stand on the issue of Black Lives Matter and on the issue of police brutality was me being complicit, especially because as a Black man my voice is being called for. So I felt a responsibility to at least voice my opinion and to be active in a way that’s like dispelling misconceptions,” said Akil. 

Along with using his platforms to voice his opinions and educate others, Akil has been volunteering for the When We All Vote, My School Votes program to build student-led teams within institutions and register eligible high school students and alumni.

Like Akil, David Way has been using his social media platform to raise awareness and educate his peers. 

“And then it’s sad how even some of our black youth may not understand what is going on, why we’re protesting, and how they’re treated differently. I feel like the big elephant in the room, that is racism, needs to be addressed rather than never talked about, and I try to address it through social media,” said David. 

Amid their hurt and outrage, rising senior Gabrielle Forbes and some of her close friends decided that they would found an organization, Letters to the System, to give young people in the Black community a means of expression. 

“Personally, I don’t know of a lot of organizations that would provide me with an outlet for this kind of thing. But that’s why I made my organization because I saw the lack of support for Black youth in the community. Letters to the System is an outlet for the youth to express how they feel to their local officials so that they can make change in any way that they can,” said Gabrielle. 

Akil, David, and Gabrielle are just three of many young people in the community who did not let the discrimination and acts of violence done to others in the community deter them. Instead, they are doing everything in their power to make a difference, ensuring that they are a part of the change. 

“I for one know that I am tired of being tired. Black people are tired of being suppressed, treated differently, and killed. It’s not fair,” echoed David. 

“We need a change and we need a change now.”

This one hit home.

Even after conducting the interviews, I worked on this article for weeks, wanting nothing more than to make sure that I did right by the cause and by the people I interviewed.

I couldn’t be happier with how it came out.

If there’s anything that I learned from these past few weeks, it’s that now is not the time to remain silent. The oppression that people in the Black community faced has never went away, but instead took place in different forms. I can’t go to protests and I don’t have much money to donate, but I can write, and I have the ability to spread awareness in any way that I can.

Like Akil, Gabrielle, and David, I want to help the cause. I want to make a difference. I want to be part of the change.

It doesn’t have to be like this, and I know that it can get better.

And so, I encourage you all to spread love, educate yourself on the matter if you haven’t, and to be an ally.

[New] Normal

by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Articles, Experience, Feature

My New Normal

By Rhobie Toussaint

On March 13, I woke up after snoozing my alarm numerous times. Little did I know, March 13 was also the last day I woke up at 5:30 AM, went to school, and saw my school friends. It was the last day I knew what “normal’ was.  

It is currently a little past Mid-April, over one month after my last day at school (though I didn’t know it was my last day at the time). [Mostly] Everything has changed. My mornings on weekdays begin with classes via Zoom that I dread to wake up for. Sometimes I wake up early enough to do my devotional before “class,” and other days I do them right before falling asleep again. 

Every day my mom calls my name over five times to help her with something. She, a teacher, also has to work from home now. I know this is all new to her too, but I can’t help rolling my eyes at least once every other day before reluctantly rolling out of bed, dragging my feet to the living room, and plastering a fake smile on my face right before  saying “yes, mom.”

There are times when I am so lucky that my mom remembers that she needs something else right before I open my bedroom door. I take a deep breath, turn around and walk right back to the living room. 

Whenever I exit my room it is always for a specific reason — to remind my dad to take his medicine, to eat, to go to the bathroom, to step outside for five minutes so I can remember what it feels like to be outside and then washing my hands again, things of that sort. 

And on the (very) few occasions when I get to step into the car and head to Publix for groceries, I see masks on everyone, everywhere. But it doesn’t seem like anyone’s afraid. It’s as if they are simply used to this, as if they have accepted that this is their new normal.

Then when I get back home, I bring the groceries inside, change my clothes, wash my hands, and then sanitize everything (safety precautions). By then, it is usually time for another nap, but sometimes I get a reminder that I have an assignment due in a few hours instead. On those days, I glare at my laptop before opening it. 

Some days I write, some days I ignore the news alerts of how many new cases of COVID-19 there are in Florida, but of course, I can’t forget the days when I lay in bed for hours with a million thoughts swirling around in my head.

Some of them are so convoluted that I can barely make any sense of them. 

If I want to talk to my friends, then I have to call them. And if we want to see each other, we FaceTime. We reminisce on the days where social distancing wasn’t in place, before realizing that just over a month ago, our lives were completely different. 

Just over a month ago I was planning a trip to the beach. Just over a month ago I was allowed to go to church services throughout the week and I was able to hug everyone after service was over. 

Just over a month ago, my “normal” was different. And now, it will never be the same.

 

In the words of an article I read, “It’s a slow life, this social distancing thing.” Even when I was writing this piece, it was still mind-blowing to think about the fact that EVERYTHING was different just over a month ago. And even after this passes, nothing will ever be the same. 

Every day can feel like a blur when you’re home all day, every day, but the extra time also leaves an opportunity to self-reflect, to make changes that you’ve been putting off. You can take up new hobbies and try out new things. 

Right now, all of us have a different ‘normal.’ In fact, the very picture of what normal looks like in our minds is probably all distorted. But we can make something of it. 

Make something of your new normal. 

Microwave Generation

by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Articles, Editorial

Microwave Generation

By Rhobie Toussaint

If one were to compare all of the major social media platforms that have appeared throughout the years, from MySpace to Facebook to Snapchat, a similar trend would be seen– modern means faster.

Coined by Raymond James, the term “Microwave Generation” sums up the impatience of Generation Z, those born between the years of 1995 and 2015. 

As people consume more information through the internet and different social media platforms, they also start to expect technological updates at a faster speed.

 For example, 4G, the fourth generation of cellular technology has an average speed of about 10 megabits per second (Mbps), but 5G, which is not fully researched or developed, is already being advertised by telecommunications companies. 

5G proposes some health concerns due to radiofrequency radiation and security violations. However, to most people the benefits seem to outweigh these dangers – with higher download rates, internet with even higher speed, and more, the microwave generation is bound to make some sacrifices for 5G.

The high expectations and need for constant renovation seen in Gen Z is ultimately what drives their impatience. Anything less than the speed and consumption of information that they are used to can lead to instant dissatisfaction.

“Most of the people our age can barely remember a time before the internet was as big as it is now, and in some ways, our generation does want that information more,” said Andrew Easterling, a junior at MLEC.

But this is not Gen Z’s fault. Nothing more and nothing less can be expected from a group of people that grew up during a time period of the latest smartphones and fastest internet speeds. If millenials or any other generation grew up with the same circumstances that Gen Z has, it is more than likely that they’d share similar traits.

“My parents are Gen X, and I’ve seen them, people even older, and everyone in between uses the internet for information, ” said Andrew.

Moreover, the expectations of more information in little time goes beyond those of Generation Z. It is a societal trend. Many who can have these technological advances are prone to expecting more– more technological advances, more information, more access. 

“From my understanding, most people actually want constant updates and upgrades, but that’s just because of the times we are living in,” said Adrien Rivero, a senior at MLEC. 

We have come to a point where it is only natural that people, of different age groups and ranges, are searching and yearning for quick renovation.

“I think people in general are always looking for change and improvement in whatever it is that they do,” added Rivero. 

This isn’t just a microwave generation. It is a microwave society. 

Puerto Rico

by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Articles, News

Earthquakes In Puerto Rico

By Rhobie Toussaint

Since Hurricane Maria in 2017, parts of  Puerto Rico are still in a state of devastation. The death toll reached just over 2,000 people; the agricultural yield has a loss of about 780 million dollars, and there are people still emigrating from Puerto Rico to the U.S. due to the state of the island. 

Now, another kind of natural disaster has hit the struggling island— earthquakes.

The earthquakes in Puerto Rico have left homes leveled, caused the displacement of  residents with nowhere to go, and lead to one known death. The island has been experiencing consecutive earthquakes, and Puerto Ricans have been experiencing their effects since December. 

“Personally, it’s been devastating seeing the people of Puerto Rico struggling with the many disasters that have been happening lately. Knowing they just suffered from a horrible hurricane that destroyed their homes and communities, many people probably don’t have the strength to go back to shelter,” said Jean Laguerre, the President of MLEC’s Caribbean Culture Club. 

These earthquakes have had magnitudes as high as 6.4, which was the magnitude of an earthquake in January that took place in Puerto Rico. Records show that these earthquakes resulted in about 5,000 Puerto Ricans to be unable or unwilling to return to their homes, meaning that many are without shelter. 

“What’s happening in Puerto Rico is extremely unfortunate. They were just starting to recuperate after hurricane Maria when the first earthquake hit. My family home on the island is in shambles and there’s nowhere for my relatives to go,” said Krystal Alverio, a Puerto Rican student at MLEC. 

Places such as the Poinciana Condominium in Puerto Rico, which includes medical, commercial, and residential floors, have become officially uninhabitable because of the structural damage. 

As a result of this, the Puerto Rico’s governor, Wanda Vasquez declared a state of emergency. 

The residents in  Puerto Rico are in desperate need of aid to restore their homes, and access other resources and necessities. But the country is not receiving all of the help it needs.  

Recently, there has been a video of a warehouse full of unused supplies which, according to Vasquez, has been there since Hurricane Maria. The video went viral, causing residents to take matters into their own hands by breaking into the warehouse and distributing the supplies themselves. 

The governor fired the commissioner of the National Emergency Management and Disaster Relief Agency, who claims he has not deprived anyone of accessing the supplies in the warehouse.

   After the earthquakes in January, Wanda Vasquez requested aid from the U.S., as Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory. The Trump administration, however, has imposed multiple conditions on Puerto Rico, and these conditions must be met before the island can access 8.3 billion dollars.

“After Hurricane Maria, congress has since approved $44 billion for recovery from the federal department housing and health. However, the people from the Island have had access to only $2 billion up to this month,” said Jean Laguerre.

 The officer of management, Chase Jennings, says this is to hold Puerto Rico accountable while helping them.  

Some parts of Puerto Rico have recovered, especially areas where tourists visit and stay. But for the most part, there are still people living on the streets who are begging for help, homes that haven’t been restored, and people yet to receive aid. 

“I visited the more touristy parts of Puerto Rico and while I was there I saw two people one had a sign that said something along the lines of, “I lost my home to hurricane Maria, I need a place to stay. It was sad to see because there was someone begging for a home next to booths that  tourists are visiting,” said Samantha Jimenez, a student at MLEC.

“It’s sad to see that years later, they have never really recovered and that the island has turned to covering that up to pretend that nothing is going on and people can visit,” added Jimenez.