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As the American Black Film Festival celebrates its 27th anniversary, Miami Beach is the prime destination that hosted this year’s event. The Greater Miami Convention and Visitor Bureau (GMCVB) created an initiative to attract travelers to conventions and events in their city.
The warm, sunny and engaging nightlife of Miami is already attractive to many travelers; however, GMCVB is connecting the dots for organizations (like the American Black Film Festival, which highlights Black cinema and entertainment) to host their event in Miami to bring more attendees out each year to visit the city.
This year, our publication Black Girl Nerds had the opportunity to explore what GMCVB had to offer visitors. This was actually my first time in Miami, so as you can imagine I was pretty geeked about the experience. The hosting hotel was the Kimpton Surfcomber located in South Beach just a couple blocks away from the Miami Convention Center. This is the perfect hotel to check out if you plan to attend any convention events in Miami.
ABFF was a work trip for me, as I was covering a number of press red carpets and one-on-one interviews as well as screenings during the festival. However, during my downtime, I did manage to take some time to go to the beach, which is located directly behind the hotel. That’s right, the beach is your backyard! As you walk through the lobby of the hotel to exit to the back to get to the beach, you will pass their pool area, which is pretty nice. At check-in you are handed a white wristband that gives you exclusive access to the pool area as a guest.
Checking into my room, I was greeted with a bottle of champagne and a plate of exotic fruit, which was an incredible start to my work week at ABFF. Kimpton Surfcomber also offers complimentary coffee in the morning until 10 o’clock each day. They also have a daily social hour where they serve red and white wine from 5 to 6 p.m. There’s friendly staff to serve you and socialize with you while you sip. And I know this may be an odd thing to add here, but throughout the day, the lobby has iced cold water infused with citrus fruit, which I highly appreciated. The Miami heat in June was no joke, so coming inside to find a cool, refreshing drink of water was exactly what I needed.
But what about the food? I ordered the salmon limon with a glass of prosecco, and it was divine. Compliments to the chef on this meal. It was pretty tasty I must say!
I also had the opportunity to speak with Connie Kinnard, Senior Vice President of Multicultural Tourism and Development for the Greater Miami Convention and Visitor Bureau. This was during the Community Day at ABFF that synergized the locals of Miami with the festival. Featured at this event was none other than multi-hyphenate Issa Rae and filmmaker Matthew A. Cherry. Kinnard says, “It’s important to show during this time that Black groups are still meeting and that we’re supporting our communities.”
ABFF Ventures recently rebranded themselves as Nice Crowd, with plans to expand their event to other cities including a comedy festival in Washington D.C. Kinnard says she fully supports Nice Crowd. “I support it all the way. We definitely want to keep the festival in Miami and anything else Nice Crowd wants to bring to our destination. The reality is, it’s a wonderful organization and I am so excited for their growth. We will be a part of it in any way we can.”
We’re also here for the growth of Nice Crowd (formerly known as ABFF Ventures), the American Black Film Festival, and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitor Bureau for what they are doing for culture and community. If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out ABFF, it’s a festival that’s worth your time. You will meet some amazing people along the way.
As the American Black Film Festival celebrates its 27th anniversary, Miami Beach is the prime destination that hosted this year’s event. The Greater Miami Convention and Visitor Bureau (GMCVB) created an initiative to attract travelers to conventions and events in their city.
The warm, sunny and engaging nightlife of Miami is already attractive to many travelers; however, GMCVB is connecting the dots for organizations (like the American Black Film Festival, which highlights Black cinema and entertainment) to host their event in Miami to bring more attendees out each year to visit the city.
This year, our publication Black Girl Nerds had the opportunity to explore what GMCVB had to offer visitors. This was actually my first time in Miami, so as you can imagine I was pretty geeked about the experience. The hosting hotel was the Kimpton Surfcomber located in South Beach just a couple blocks away from the Miami Convention Center. This is the perfect hotel to check out if you plan to attend any convention events in Miami.
ABFF was a work trip for me, as I was covering a number of press red carpets and one-on-one interviews as well as screenings during the festival. However, during my downtime, I did manage to take some time to go to the beach, which is located directly behind the hotel. That’s right, the beach is your backyard! As you walk through the lobby of the hotel to exit to the back to get to the beach, you will pass their pool area, which is pretty nice. At check-in you are handed a white wristband that gives you exclusive access to the pool area as a guest.
Checking into my room, I was greeted with a bottle of champagne and a plate of exotic fruit, which was an incredible start to my work week at ABFF. Kimpton Surfcomber also offers complimentary coffee in the morning until 10 o’clock each day. They also have a daily social hour where they serve red and white wine from 5 to 6 p.m. There’s friendly staff to serve you and socialize with you while you sip. And I know this may be an odd thing to add here, but throughout the day, the lobby has iced cold water infused with citrus fruit, which I highly appreciated. The Miami heat in June was no joke, so coming inside to find a cool, refreshing drink of water was exactly what I needed.
But what about the food? I ordered the salmon limon with a glass of prosecco, and it was divine. Compliments to the chef on this meal. It was pretty tasty I must say!
I also had the opportunity to speak with Connie Kinnard, Senior Vice President of Multicultural Tourism and Development for the Greater Miami Convention and Visitor Bureau. This was during the Community Day at ABFF that synergized the locals of Miami with the festival. Featured at this event was none other than multi-hyphenate Issa Rae and filmmaker Matthew A. Cherry. Kinnard says, “It’s important to show during this time that Black groups are still meeting and that we’re supporting our communities.”
ABFF Ventures recently rebranded themselves as Nice Crowd, with plans to expand their event to other cities including a comedy festival in Washington D.C. Kinnard says she fully supports Nice Crowd. “I support it all the way. We definitely want to keep the festival in Miami and anything else Nice Crowd wants to bring to our destination. The reality is, it’s a wonderful organization and I am so excited for their growth. We will be a part of it in any way we can.”
We’re also here for the growth of Nice Crowd (formerly known as ABFF Ventures), the American Black Film Festival, and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitor Bureau for what they are doing for culture and community. If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out ABFF, it’s a festival that’s worth your time. You will meet some amazing people along the way.
Tulsa’s Black Wall Street is often considered as the only legacy of Black wealth and economic empowerment. That is farther from the truth. There is a nation of Black Wall Streets beyond Oklahoma, nestled between the pasts of the Civil War and the end of Reconstruction.
Today is a new day to shed light on the ongoing efforts to preserve and advance the Black dollar. From Greenwood to Richmond, segregation and discrimination forced Blacks into a small world in which Blacks had open access to prosperity and generational wealth.
We want to acknowledge the freedman communities, individuals, and new-age initiatives that continue to breathe hope in a New Black Wall Street. For instance, former Wall Street analyst Claudia Walker dedicated her collection, The ABCs Of Black Wall Street books, to empowering educators, parents, and youth about the future for Black Wall Street. The Official Black Wall Street organization provides a platform and directory for Black-owned businesses across various sectors within the United States.
Ikechi Nwabuisi, founder & CEO of TRiBL, is also a true believer in the future of Black Wall Street. He introduced a strategic plan to lay the groundwork for a global digital wealth strategy built on community and e-commerce. In May, the Black Wall Street Legacy Festival hosted a series of community-led events, which included discussion panels, performances and guest appearances from artists, advocates and political leaders.
Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma
After a long battle, the affluent Black-owned community Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street, graced the National Register of Historic Places last year.
Recognized as a freedom colony, Black Wall Street was a thriving mecca of black enterprises fueled by Oklahoma’s oil boom during that time. The entrepreneurs of Greenwood continued to work with other businesses to pour and circulate resources within the Black community until the Tulsa Race Massacre on May 31, 1921.
Launched in 2022, the Black Wall Street Business Center pays homage to the Tulsa Greenwood neighborhood. The 2,200-square-foot facility that aims to advance Black, indigenous, and minority businesses and entrepreneurship. Thee hub features three shared office spaces, 16 working desks, a seating area and a meeting room, free Wi-Fi and printing, and a kitchen.
Jackson Ward in Richmond, Virginia
Known as “the Harlem of the South,” the Jackson Ward district of Richmond was established in 1871. The Reconstruction era saw an influx of freed slaves move into the neighborhood. They created one of the most vibrant, active, and prominent centers of Black economic self-determination.
Among the District’s thriving entertainment included the famed Hippodrome theatre where the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and Richmond’s own Bill “Bojangles” Robinson made appearances. The neighborhood housed large and well-known African-American churches, including the Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church, founded by famous orator John Jasper. The retail and business community included the incomparable Maggie L. Walker, the first woman in America to found and lead a bank in the United States when she opened the St. Luke Penny Savings.
In the late 1950s, the Ward was divided by the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike (now part of I-95). Many structures and businesses were torn down.