On Saturday, May 31, 2025, nearly 500 community members gathered at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Miami Gardens for The People’s Meetup, a community-powered town hall hosted by Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones. Framed around "The State of Black America," the event offered a space for real talk, spiritual grounding, and collective organizing.
A Powerful Lineup of National and Local Leaders
The program featured a powerhouse lineup: civil rights attorney Ben Crump, often called "Black America’s Attorney General," and U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), known for her bold, unapologetic advocacy and constitutional clarity. Moderated by former State Senator Dwight Bullard and journalist Janey Tate of Hy-Lo News, the event also included remarks from Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert III.
Crump and Crockett issued a clarion call: stay focused on local elections, support Black media, and build political power from the ground up.
“Fear is contagious,” said Crump, “but so is courage.”
The Role of Local Politics and Black Media
Crockett urged attendees to treat every election—from judge to school board—with the same urgency as a presidential contest.
“Most people don’t know a judge’s name until everything goes wrong,” she said. “By then, it’s too late.”
She also emphasized the role of Black-owned media as trusted messengers in a time when mainstream outlets are under political pressure.
“I don’t just show up during campaign season. I invest in Black media all year long so they can thrive, not just survive.”
Crump added that without Black-owned outlets, the Trayvon Martin story may never have gained traction.
“When no one else covered it, Black media did,” he said, recalling Antioch Baptist’s role as the site of the first rally for Trayvon in 2012.
Mobilizing Across Generations
Crockett called for a generational bridge between seasoned organizers and youth leaders.
“We can’t just use young folks for their legs and backs. They need to be at the decision-making table too,” she said.
She emphasized reaching people where they are, whether on MSNBC or The Shade Room.
“Politics isn’t something you avoid. It finds you. So we have to talk about it in churches, barbershops, cookouts—everywhere.”
From Struggle to Strength
Crump invoked the words of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., urging attendees to be bold in defending Black liberty and life.
“If they’re unapologetic about white supremacy,” he said, “we need to be unapologetic in our Black humanity.”
Crockett echoed that sentiment with spiritual force:
“They want me to be scared. But God didn’t put fear in me. My ancestors died so I could be here—and I’m not going to waste the seat they made for me.”
Building Toward What Comes Next
With co-sponsorship from organizations like Black Voters Matter, Equality Florida, Florida Student Power, Moms Demand Action, the NAACP, and SAVE, The People’s Meetup marked not just a moment—but the launch of deeper organizing across South Florida.
Sen. Jones closed the event by reminding the audience:
“This isn’t about just this election or the next one. It’s about building power that lasts.”
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