The Ultimate Tribute Wed Jan 18 2023 17:04:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Artist Louiveste La Croix Opens Haitian Heritage Month With “Lakou" South Florida Sun Times Apr 30, 2026 This Haitian Heritage Month (May), The Pompano Beach Cultural Affairs Department Invites The Community To Experience A Vibrant Celebration Of Haitian Culture, Art, And Movement, Led By The Powerful Exhibition Lakou La Croix At The Ali Cultural Arts Center. Anchoring A Month-Long Series Of Events, This Exhibition Sets The Tone For Reflection, Connection, And Celebration Across Pompano Beach. Running from Friday, May 8th, 2026 through Saturday, June 13th, 2026, Lakou La Croix is a deeply personal solo exhibition by artist Louiveste La Croix. Through a compelling body of mixed media work, La Croix explores themes of childhood memory, displacement, and communal identity rooted in his early life in Saint Louis du Nord, Haiti, and his journey to South Florida. At the heart of the exhibition is the Haitian concept of lakou—a communal living structure that symbolizes shared responsibility, resilience, and belonging. For La Croix, lakou is both lived experience and metaphor: a constellation of homes, memories, and identities formed while moving between relatives during a prolonged immigration process. Each piece becomes a “doorway,” inviting viewers into an evolving narrative of home, culture, spirituality, and self. The celebration begins with the Opening Reception on Friday, May 8th, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Ali Cultural Arts Center. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the artist, engage with the work, and immerse themselves in an evening honoring Haitian heritage through visual storytelling and community dialogue. Louiveste La Croix is an artist born in Haiti and currently based in South Florida. His work combines multimedia techniques, gestural figures, and abstract color schemes that captivate viewers. He studied Fine Art at Broward College and has exhibited internationally, including presentations in Brooklyn, Miami’s Wynwood arts district, Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale. La Croix uses his art to convey messages of spiritual awareness, unity and consciousness through natural elements, while paying tribute to historical roots to promote conscious evolution. He believes true artistry comes from taking risks, creating what has never been done before, and expressing oneself authentically. Continuing the celebration, the rhythm of Haiti comes alive with Konpa Pompano! on Saturday, May 9th, 2026 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. at The Hive Black Box Theater. This lively dance workshop celebrates Konpa, one of Haiti’s most iconic musical and dance traditions, brought to life by instructor Caleb Exantus. Open to all skill levels, the workshop invites participants to learn foundational steps, connect through movement, and experience the joy and energy of Haitian culture firsthand. Together, Lakou La Croix and Konpa Pompano! form a dynamic cultural pairing—one offering introspective exploration through art, the other an embodied celebration through dance—creating a meaningful and multifaceted tribute to Haitian Heritage Month. Event Details: Lakou La Croix Exhibition Friday, May 8th, 2026 – Saturday, June 13th, 2026 Opening Reception: Friday, May 8th, 2026 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Location: Ali Cultural Arts Center FREE Registration Online: https://www.pompanobeacharts.org/events/lakou-la-croix Konpa Pompano! Dance Workshop Saturday, May 9th, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Location: The Hive Black Box Theater Admission: $10 Purchase tickets online at: https://www.pompanobeacharts.org/events/konpa-in-pompano For more information, visit the Pompano Beach Cultural Affairs Department website at: https://www.pompanobeacharts.org/ or follow their Social Media channels for updates throughout Haitian Heritage Month. About Pompano Beach Cultural Affairs Department The mission of the Cultural Affairs Department, operating as Pompano Beach Arts, is to provide cultural programming that includes visual arts, digital media, music, film, theater, dance, and public art for the enjoyment and enrichment of residents and visitors to Pompano Beach, Broward County, and the greater South Florida area. The department programs and manages the City’s premiere cultural arts venues, including the Pompano Beach Cultural Center; Ali Cultural Arts Center including The Hive Black Box Theater; Bailey Contemporary Arts; and the Blanche Ely House Museum. The department also oversees the City’s Public Art Program and the Artists in Residence (AiR) initiative. La Croix uses his art to convey messages of spiritual awareness, unity and consciousness through natural elements. Previous Next

Can I Come Live With You: I Want A Family To Call My Own Thu Jul 13 2023 16:09:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

“Elders Of Zion 2.0” - Antisemitic ‘Tired Islam’ Conspiracy Takes Root On Social Media South Florida Sun Times Nov 26, 2025 Tel Aviv – Cyberwell, A Nonprofit Trusted Partner Of Meta (Facebook, Instagram And Threads), Tiktok And Youtube, Focused On Combating Online Antisemitism, Has Identified And Flagged A Rapidly Growing Arabic-Language Conspiracy Theory Known As “Tired Islam.” Born Entirely On Social Media, The Narrative Falsely Claims That A Jewish Or “Zionist” Author Named Jacob Dunne Published A Book Titled “The Tired Islam,” Outlining A Secret Plan To Dismantle Arab And Muslim Society From Within. In Reality, No Such Book Exists In The U.S. Library Of Congress Or Elsewhere, Yet This Fabricated Claim Has Become Central To The Narrative’s Viral Spread. “This trend is a modern-day digital replica of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. It revives century-old religious antisemitism, tailored to go viral on today’s platforms,” said CyberWell Founder and CEO Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor. “The narrative pushes the same antisemitic tropes that have historically led to mass violence against Jews, now wrapped in a pseudointellectual setting to appear credible and urgent.” Videos promoting the conspiracy often feature a series of fabricated bullet-point “excerpts” from a fictional chapter titled “The End of the Arabs.” These include false claims that Jews aim to destroy Muslim society by promoting feminism, moral decay, attacking mosques, eroding family values and using technology to distract and dominate Muslim youth. The videos also display imagined publication details, such as “Volume 7, 4th Edition, 2011” and falsely state that the text is stored in the Library of Congress. The narrative frequently concludes by calling viewers to treat the video as a religious and moral obligation to share. In many instances, the “Tired Islam” narrative is paired with or presented as a continuation of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, reinforcing the illusion of a long-standing Jewish blueprint for global domination. Some users explicitly frame the conspiracy as a hidden truth being implemented in real time, directly linking Jewish identity to the alleged moral and spiritual decline of Muslim communities. “Digital platforms are facing a moment of reckoning due to the continued poisoning and abuse of the information economy. Antisemitic actors are using the virality of misinformation to inject age-old conspiracies into religious and political discourse. The fact that this narrative is being promoted as a ‘religious’ imperative makes it especially difficult to moderate and even more dangerous,” said Cohen Montemayor. “We are watching, in real time, the formation of new Protocols; but unlike 1903, this time the digital platforms governing content through Trust & Safety can still stop it before it spreads beyond control.” Despite clear violations of hateful conduct policies, promoting classic antisemitic tropes and stereotypes about Jews and ulterior conspiracies, Social Media platforms are consistently failing to intervene against this harmful modern conspiracy theory. In multiple escalation cases from CyberWell, platforms concluded that the content did not violate community standards, illustrating that the platforms do not have a consistent policy around citation of anonymous or forged texts. “Like any trending conspiracy theory or misinformation campaign, the window for effective containment on algorithmic charged platforms is brief. Unlike the myriad of misinformation and disinformation campaigns we have documented online since the October 7 Hamas massacre and ensuing war with Israel in the Gaza Strip, this harmful conspiracy is not tied to the news cycle or an active conflict. This creates an opportunity for more effective scalable intervention and enforcement of Trust & Safety standards with less concern for censorship and denial of access to information on the platform side of things,” added Cohen Montemayor. “However, the Tired Islam trend dehumanizes Jews and positions them as a collective enemy of Islam. Left unchecked, this will radicalize communities, incite division and fuel religious hatred across borders. Narratives like this could easily escalate into real-world violence, particularly if audiences are led to believe that their core belief systems and family values are under direct attack by a specific minority group. Comparable dynamics were observed in the lead-up to the Charlie Hebdo attack in France, where portrayals of perceived assaults on Islam contributed to radical extremist violence and terrorism.” CyberWell is an independent, internationally focused, tech-rooted NonProfit combating the spread of antisemitism online. Its AI-technologies monitor Social Media in English and Arabic for posts that promulgate antisemitism, Holocaust denial and promote violence against Jews and their allies based on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. Its analysts review and report this content to platform moderators while indexing all verified posts in the first-ever open database of antisemitic Social Media posts, democratically cataloging it for transparency at: https://app.cyberwell.org . Through partnerships, education and real-time alerts, CyberWell is holding Social Media platforms and their moderators accountable, promoting proactive steps against online Jew-hate. For more information, visit: https://cyberwell.org/ . Previous Next

Touch-A-Truck - Hands On Vehicle Expo South Florida Sun Times Jul 30, 2025 The City Of Pembroke Pines Touch-A-Truck Vehicle Expo, Presented By Baptist Health, Is Taking Place On Saturday, September 20th, 2025 From 10:00 a.m. To 12:00 p.m. Noon At The Charles F. Dodge City Center, Located At 601 City Center Way, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33025. This Event Is For All Ages, Offering A Fun And Educational Experience Featuring A Wide Array Of Trucks And Heavy Machinery. Event Details Visitors will have the opportunity to get up close and explore, climb and touch trucks, emergency response vehicles, heavy machinery, construction vehicles and all sorts of other equipment used for transportation. They’ll also get a chance to meet the personnel who serve and protect the community, including Pembroke Pines Fire and Police Officers. A hands-on learning experience, visitors will be able to ask questions and experience what the vehicles are truly like. An added bonus is also having the opportunity for one-on-one interaction with local and national transportation representatives. Hopping into the driver’s seat and sitting behind the wheel, honking a horn and exploring a vehicle is a fun and educational experience not to be missed. The first 100 children in attendance will receive a free Touch-A-Truck t-shirt; the first 300 children will receive a free Hot Wheels car; and the first 500 children in attendance will receive a free Touch-A-Truck hard hat. Admission and parking are free. For more information, please call: (954) 392-2116. Or visit: www.ppines.com/specialevents . Stay Connected With The City! The community can learn more about the City of Pembroke Pines’ latest events and activities by subscribing to Pembroke Pines Media on YouTube at Pembroke Pines Media, to NewsFlash, a monthly digital newsletter, at: www.ppines.com/Newsflash , by reading the city’s digital newspaper City Connect at: www.ppines.com/cityconnect - visiting the city’s website at: www.ppines.com - Checking the city’s digital signage, or by visiting the City’s Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/cityofpembrokepines - And @cityofppines for Twitter and Instagram. Residents with Comcast can view Pembroke Pines Media programming on Channel 78. Previous Next

“Miya’s Law”: In Honor of Charles W. Flanagan High School Graduate, Miya Marcano Thu Jul 07 2022 04:10:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Summer Camp Registration Is Here: A Message From The Mayor Of Sunny Isles Beach Fri May 17 2024 16:11:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Brand International Holiday Sale: Great Prices On Designer Fragrances and Eyewear Thu Dec 16 2021 05:07:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Exploration of Human Connection, January 15th, Free at Nova University Library By Linda Chase - Jewish Connection News Jan 7, 2025 LoveJewish.org in association with NSU Florida’s Alvin Sherman Library and the University of Miami Sue and Leonard Miller Center will present a FREE reading of award-winning playwright Debbie Slevin’s critically acclaimed play Gate B23: Carry-On Baggage. The reading will take place at 1:00 pm on January 15th in the Sherman Library. This ‘dramedy’, directed by Avi Hoffman, is a witty and compelling exploration of human connection amid uproarious chaos. It follows a diverse cast of travelers, each wrestling with personal challenges, as they are stranded at Gate B23 at Palm Beach International Airport whilst enduring an increasingly prolonged flight delay. The play promises to deliver a unique theatrical experience that blends humor, tension, and profound human insights. The reading of Gate B23: Carry-On Baggage will feature some of South Florida’s most prominent actors, including Brandon Campbell, Rayner Gabriel, Harriet Oser, Emma Garcia Seeger, Devra Seidel, Barbara Sloan, and Troy Stanley. Dave Corey will take on the role of the progressively disturbed Gate Attendant. Debbie Slevin, an award-winning essayist and author is a writer, producer/director, and teacher. She conceived and co-produced The Apron Strings Project in Riverhead, NY, produced and directed The Last Five Years at Guild Hall in East Hampton, and the first NYC revival of Songs for a New World. Her play Gate B23: Carry-On Baggage was a best-selling selection of NYC International Fringe Festival and Manhattan Repertory Theater's Winterfest. Now a well-read blogger for Huffpo50, Debbie’s writing has also appeared in Essence Magazine, Woman’s World, and Reform Judaism. She was also a staff writer for the Jewish Standard. Tickets for Gate B23: Carry-On Baggage are FREE. Reservations can be made online at: www.YILoveJewish.org/Events - or at The Alvin Sherman Library at Nova Southeastern University, located at 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Boulevard, Davie, Florida 33314. Previous Next

A PAWS-itively Great Time: Mark Your Calendars To Support Our Four-Legged Pets In Need Thu Sep 21 2023 16:11:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

MODS Awarded Grant For Character Development Children - Building a Better World Together Permanent Exhibit to Open in 2026 Wed Dec 25 2024 16:30:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Making Playtime For Everyone: Miami Children’s Museum Becomes A Certified Autism Center South Florida Sun Times Aug 27, 2026 The International Board Of Credentialing And Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) Proudly Awards The Certified Autism Center (CAC) To The Miami Children’s Museum, Recognizing Its Efforts To Create An Accessible Play Environment For All Children, Including Autistic And Sensory-Sensitive Individuals. To Earn The Certification, Museum Staff Completed Autism And Sensory Training To Equip Them With A Deeper Understanding Of Autism And Provide Knowledge Of Best Practices To Welcome, Support, And Include Autistic And Sensory-Sensitive Individuals. “We believe every child deserves a place where they can be themselves, play and explore their curiosity freely,” says Deborah Spiegelman, CEO and Executive Director, Miami Children’s Museum. “As a Certified Autism Center, it is our promise to every family who walks through our doors that they will be seen, understood and welcomed exactly as they are.” Autism Training provides staff with clear, standardized protocols for interacting with guests with Autism and other invisible disabilities. This reduces hesitation, guesswork, and the time it takes for staff to decide how to handle a situation, leading to faster and more confident service. Optimized resource allocation and reduced service recovery costs are direct benefits of operational efficients often seen as a result of certification. Building guest loyalty and expanding the definition of “accessibility” are tangible results that help organizations expand their reach and serve a larger market. “By achieving the Certified Autism Center designation, Miami Children’s Museum is leading the way in redefining what inclusive play looks like,” says Myron Pincomb, IBCCES Board Chairman. “The museum’s dedication to accessibility sets a powerful example for museums everywhere and reinforces that learning and fun should be open to everyone.” In addition to equipping staff with Autism and Sensory Awareness Training, Miami Children’s Museum offers several additional accommodations. On the second Saturday of every month, Miami Children’s Museum hosts a Sensory-Friendly experience for children with disabilities and their families. Visitors can explore the museum in a Sensory-Modified and supportive setting with limited admission, as well as lowered sound and lighting. Museum visitors can also enjoy a Sensory-Friendly stage performance and participate in a variety of Sensory-Based activities. Miami Children’s Museum’s goal is to provide every child with the opportunity to engage in social interactions and improve the processing, modulation and regulation of Sensory Input to increase their understanding of and participation in a natural environment. Visitors will also have the opportunity to network with other families. Admission to Sensory Friendly Saturday is FREE with required RSVP. A special thank you to the event sponsors: The Ethel and Harry Reckson Foundation/Michael Spritzer & Marjorie Baron. By completing the CAC process, the Miami Children’s Museum joins a wider movement initiated by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), helping Miami work towards achieving the Certified Autism Destination (CAD) designation. The CAD designation means visitors have multiple trained and certified options to choose from when in the area, including entertainment, recreation, and lodging. For more than two decades, IBCCES has been a leader in providing Autism, Sensory and Neurodiversity Training and certification for professionals worldwide, including those in healthcare, education, public safety, travel, and corporate sectors. As the only credentialing board offering these programs, IBCCES provides training from subject matter experts and Autistic self-advocates, along with long-term support, continuous learning, onsite reviews, and renewal requirements to ensure continued growth and lasting impact. To further support inclusivity efforts, the Miami Children’s Museum is featured on the IBCCES Accessibility App, which is free to download. This app provides individuals with a variety of disabilities real-time guidance on certified destinations, sensory-friendly spaces, and tailored recommendations. By connecting users to accessible locations worldwide, the app helps ensure seamless, enjoyable experiences for everyone. IBCCES also provides access to resources such as: https://AccessibilityCertified.com - And at: https://AutismTravel.com , free online tools for families that list certified locations and professionals. Each organization listed on the site has met IBCCES certification requirements. About Miami Children’s Museum Miami Children’s Museum is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit educational institution dedicated to enriching the lives of all children by fostering a love of learning and enabling children to realize their highest potential. Visitors of all ages are encouraged to play together, learn, imagine, and create. The museum offers bilingual, interactive exhibits, hundreds of daily programs and classes, a Subway restaurant, Kid Smart educational gift shop and learning materials related to arts, culture, community, and communication. Celebrating over 40 years of fostering childhood education and imagination, Miami Children's Museum also marks 22 years in its iconic Watson Island location. About IBCCES Delivering the global standard for training and certification in the fields of Autism, Neurodiversity, and Accessibility – IBCCES provides a series of certification programs that empower professionals to be industry leaders and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. For over two decades, IBCCES has been a global leader, setting the industry standard in Autism and Cognitive Differences Training. IBCCES works in over 111 countries and provides training in 8 languages, and its programs have been recognized around the world as the leading benchmark in training and certification. In addition to individual certification programs, IBCCES partners with cities, destinations, and organizations on initiatives like the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) and Autism Certified City (ACC), ensuring Autistic and Sensory-Sensitive residents and visitors feel welcomed and safe. Destinations that achieve the CAD designation have completed a specialized program that ensures a multitude of recreation, hospitality and entertainment organizations have completed an Autism and Sensory-Sensitivity Training, Certification and IBCCES facilities review process. The ACC designation expands on that program and includes IBCCES training and certification for the public safety, education, healthcare and workplace sectors. IBCCES also created the Accessibility App, https://AutismTravel.com . And at: https://AccessibilityCertified.com – free resources for individuals with a variety of Neurodiversities and disabilities, listing certified locations and connecting individuals to other resources and each other. Miami Children’s Museum’s goal is to provide every child with the opportunity to engage in social interactions. On the second Saturday of every month, Miami Children’s Museum hosts a Sensory-Friendly experience for children with disabilities and their families. “We believe every child deserves a place where they can be themselves" Previous Next