Official uVu Blog

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz

On January 29, 2009, South Florida residents gathered to listen and ask questions to Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz at a town hall meeting that took place at Nautilus Middle School in Miami Beach.

uVu was there to catch all the moments of the event from the time she arrived to the audience’s Q&A at the end of the meeting.

Black Crossroads: The African Diaspora in Miami

Dr. Hyppolite, curator of the African Americans in Miami exhibition at the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, spoke with uVu about Black Crossroads: The African Diaspora in Miami. The highly anticipated 11-month exhibit will begin Thursday, March 5. The exhibit will spotlight the deep impact that blacks from the Caribbean, Latin America and South America have had on Miami.

Often working as laborers, maids and farmers, blacks played an essential role in the development of Miami even before the city’s incorporation in 1896. The continued migration of African Americans and Afro Caribbean’s throughout the early twentieth century helped develop many of the landmark constructions and buildings of that era.

Dr. Hyppolite, a native of Haiti, is especially moved by the historic exhibition. Hyppolite emphasizes the need for the younger generation of black immigrants to have a knowledge and respect of their parents and grandparent’s heritage and struggles.

Her favorite part of the exhibit is the video made of testimonies gathered from immigrant pioneers in Miami. You can watch the video at

2009 documents members of the community addressing the history of race relations in Miami.

The exhibition will follow the settlement of these groups by analyzing labor and development, settlement patterns and civil rights.  Photographs, artifacts and family documents will also be on display from the Historical Museum of Southern Florida and from the Black Archives and Research Foundation of South Florida, the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust, the Bethel House African-Bahamian Museum, the Miami-Dade Main Library, the Florida State Archives and Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.

By Irene Vomvolakis

Classical South Florida Studio Opening

Classical South Florida 89.7 FM & 101.9 FM held a small celebration for the opening of their new studios in Historic Downtown Fort Lauderdale. GM Doug Evans and on-air host Julie Amacher addressed the audience at the Josephine S. Leiser Opera Center.

Watch it here.

A New South Florida Friend for uVu

With South Floridians pinching pennies and keeping their wallets tight it seems that we need a serious dose of some Fiscalis.  But seriously how is this penny pinching affecting South Florida's economy and local businesses?

One of our online content partners, FTL Today, has posted some interesting stories about local business closings and how the Fort Lauderdale area is coping with the economic recession. If you're tired of gloomy economic news, this local blog for tourists and residents of Fort Lauderdale also provides information on  events, restaurant reviews and more. Look for uVu to show up at some of these as well.

You can visit FTL Today here.

City Year Miami Celebrates MLK Day with Community Service

City Year Miami celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by organizing a day of service at the Barnyard Community Center in Coconut Grove on January 19, 2009. The opening ceremony included speakers such as Commissioner Carlos Gimenez and Marc Sannof and Bank of America’s Senior VP Maria Alonso.

Upcoming uVu events

The Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences will host an evening with Jack Kevorkian, M.D., the controversial physician who assisted his patients in committing suicide.

Kevorkian will speak on Thursday, Feb. 5, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., at the University Center on NSU’s Davie campus.  As part of the college’s Distinguished Speakers Series, Kevorkian will speak on “Assisted Suicide and the ‘Right to Die’,” corresponding with the college’s 2008–2009 academic theme of “Life and Death.”  Although the event is free, seating has become very limited.  If you aren't able to attend, watch for the video on uVu late that week.

Also on our calendar:

NSU will be unveiling its 2009 African Presence Art Exhibit Power Revealed on Wed. Feb. 4.  Art and artifacts depicting concepts of power from the rich cultural heritage of Africa will be on view from Feb. 4 through March 18, 2009 in the Second Floor Gallery of the Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center, located on Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) main campus at 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Boulevard in Davie. The exhibition is comprised of selected works from the collection of the Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale, a division of NSU. uVu will be there for the exhibition’s opening reception on Wednesday, Feb. 4 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The reception will begin with African vocal and dance performances in the Miniaci Courtyard adjacent to the library. The celebration will then move to the library’s Second Floor Gallery for the unveiling of the exhibit. Visit uVu for video from the opening.

uVu TV Sneak Peek: Habitat for Humanity annual Blitz Build 2009

The second season of uVu TV is now in pre-production and will begin production in February with Blitz Build 2009.

What is a Blitz Build?

A Blitz Build is an accelerated construction event. By completing daily goals, ten homes will be completed over the course of two weeks. Volunteers, homeowners, and sponsors work together to build houses, friendships, and a better future for homeowner families and the Miami-Dade community.

To learn more, click here. To volunteer, just complete the registration form and fax it in to Habitat for Humanity at 305-638-4917. Then click here for directions to the Blitz Build.

Watch the first season of uVu TV only on uVu.

Unity Week at NSU comes to a close

UPDATE: Watch the video here.

uVu was on hand to watch as the walls of hate and bigotry came tumbling down, quite literally, during the closing day of NOVA Southeastern University's Unity Week. Friday January 23rd was the final day of events which included a Cultural Fashion Show
 presented by the NSU Multicultural Affairs Programming (M.A.P.) Committee.  This kicked-off the evening's events and featured fashions and music from various regions around the world.  Between runway models, diverse groups performed everything from Hip Hop to Bellydancing. 

That was followed by the demolition of the Wall of Hate Project
 as organizer Jamie Rodriguez and others read poems and famous quotations, over one hundred students prepared to pull down the wall that served as a physical representation of the historical oppression that has occurred throughout our society. During the week of January 12th, NSU students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to paint cinder blocks with words and slogans which have been a symbol of hate and oppression.  The 10 feet tall and 10 feet long wall was professionally constructed in the middle of the campus and was on display throughout Unity Week.

Before pulling down this wall, participants were reminded of the need to act personally and experience the power to create positive change for the future.

Following the Wall of Hate project all the students and faculty members in attendance attempted to form a giant Dabke Line Dance
.

Aspiring to get NSU into the Guinness Book of World Records but falling just a little short, everyone still had a laugh and shared a few moments of camaraderie attempting to do the Dabke, a traditional Mediterranean chain dance. The Lebanese version has 4 simple steps. In order to attempt the Guinness Dance Record for World's Longest Line Dance, 3000 people needed to do this dance for 6 minutes. Despite the best intentions and a great time, Guinness records may need to wait another year.

Look for video from the entire evening on uVu early next week.

Filmmaker Joe Cardona on Latin Music USA

Filmmaker Joe Cardona met with students in Latin Jazz bands from diverse High Schools in Miami at the Arsht Center on January 16, 2009. Cardona talked about his experience making Latin Music USA for PBS and his documentary on Celia Cruz, the Queen of Salsa. Watch here on uVu

Live Presidential Inauguration at the Gusman Center

Hundreds of people attended the most anticipated live presidential inauguration event at the Gusman Center in Downtown Miami. Everyone waited patiently in line for the doors of the majestic theater to open. Students took a break from classes, parents brought their children to share this historic moment and some took the day off work to watch everything about the inauguration on television.
Although it was not as cold as Washington, people in the line wore jackets, gloves and scarves to brave the cold front that hit Miami early Tuesday morning.
The Gusman Center was full of people cheering, clapping, and singing along Aretha Franklin's tunes. The best part of the broadcast was when Chief Justice Roberts prononounced "Congratulation Mr. President!"
Everyone burst in cheers, many were crying, some were sobbing  and everyone joined the crowd in Washington to sing the National Anthem.
This powerful moment was shared by people of all races, cultures, backgrounds, and economical status. Children as young as three years old were chanting "Obama" while exiting the theatre. Most people were glad to experience this unforgatable moment inside such a historic venue surrounded by many. The Gusman Center decided to open its door free of charge to the public in collaboration with WPBT2. Most people shared their emotions and opinions about the event on camera for uVu.