Race Relations

Rapacious Developers Are Destroying A Historic Black Neighbourhood

In 2012 the city designated Charles Avenue, one of the oldest — if not the oldest — street in Miami, a Historic Roadway. The Not Now Silly Newsroom has documented time and again how developers around Charles Avenue have done nothing but obliterate that history. The latest outrage is the most massive attempt at gentrification in West Grove since the last outrage, which was the Grove Gardens Residence Condominiums (which this reporter calls The Monstrosity). First a quick course in a century plus of ...

Crespogram, Coconut Grove, and Charles Avenue

Those who follow me on social media know I love to share the heat from the Crespogram Report. FULL DISCLOSURE: A while back I recused myself from commenting on Miami politics ...

A Reasoned Defense of the Word “Nigger”

Let’s get something straight off the top: There is no more vile a word in the English language than “nigger”. Full stop. However, let’s agree — at the very least — ...

New York Slave Revolt ► Throwback Thursday

We have to go all the way back to 1712, before this country was even a country, for this week’s Throwback Thursday. At the time New York City was merely a ...

The Great Slave Auction ► Throwback Thursday

One of the largest slave auctions before the Civil War — alternately called The Great Slave Auction or The Weeping Time — took place 158 years ago today. Pierce M. Butler ...

Waking Up in the Grove ► Unpacking Grand Avenue

Looking east along Grand Avenue with the sun rising over Biscayne Bay This is Part Two of a series about Grand Avenue in Coconut Grove. The car creeps west very slowly ...

The Grand Avenue 2002 Vision Plan ► Unpacking Grand Avenue

This 1885 watercolour by Winslow Homer is called “A Garden in Nassau”. Ironically it was used 14 years ago for this Grand Avenue Vision Plan. Read more about it below. This ...

A Magnificent Morning in Morgantown

Two years ago the Not Now Silly Newsroom featured a Special Travelogue during The 2nd Annual Sunrise to Canton Road Trip For Research. After I published A Tribute to Don ...

Unpacking Coconut Grove & The Writer

The first pic I ever took of the Charles Avenue Historic Marker, 2009 As I mourn the destruction of the E.W.F. Stirrup House, I’ve been asked how I came to write ...

Where We’re At & Where We’re Going ► Unpacking the Writer

Pops and I soon after I moved to Florida 10 years ago. I opened this joint (originally called “Headly Westerfield’s Aunty Em Ericann Blog”) in April of 2012 to publish ...

Endings Mean New Begingings

I already have the right hat As you may, or may not, have heard, the Not Now Silly Newsroom is moving to Canada. My time in Florida is coming to an ...

Love Makes The World Go Round ► Unpacking The Writer

Reflections on the last month Whew!!! It’s been a whirlwind couple of months and it’s long past time for another Unpacking The Writer. As longtime readers of Not Now Silly know ...

The Nuptial Nostalgia Tour ► Throwback Thursday

In August I announced my Road Trip to Canada, which took me to Hamilton and Toronto, cities I’ve written about previously. It was transformed into a magical road trip, filled ...