When you drive down the highway, go under a 4 lane bypass and then a commercial plane flights just a few yards above your windshield nothing seems out of place for a normal day in South Florida, but November 2nd was Elections day and it deserved something out of the ordinary.
I exited Interstate 95 on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. which is as a "watch zone" pretty much in any city I know (I don't know if Dr. King will be to happy about that stigma) and started an unusual workday in the zone.
In Miami, that area corresponds to Liberty City, a place world-wide known thanks to the popular Grand-Theft Auto video game that takes place in the same location. But, obviously, those are just two realities in amorphous-parallel universes . While the fantasy Liberty City is ridiculously violent, full of gangs, drug lords and pimps, the real one also has schools, community action groups, churches, a university campus, elected officials and a population of almost 45 thousands.
But why is this place describe (at least in the game) as "the most dangerous city on earth"(Grand Theft Auto)?
It may be for the flaming riots of 1980 that happened on these streets after white cops brutalized and killed a black resident(Arthur Mc Duffie), provoking one of the worst racial clashes in the era.
Or may be (and most likely) because of the drug related crimes that some categorize as "drug war" since the emergence and explosion of crack cocaine during the 80's until... today.
Whatever the case is, reality is much complex than fiction and understanding the true nature of the city will take us way longer than mastering the game in playstation, so I just drove around:
Going west on MLK Blvd. the first thing you see is a Mc Donald's with 2 big tall basketball players in the door instead of the classic Ronald the Clown. Big deal, you just keep driving. Then you start to notices benches every 20 feet, not just one, but three or four together facing each other. Ok, it's the bus stop you may say. And then, groups of kids playing in the curve start to pop out 3, 4 or 5 just hanging there not taller than 5 feet maybe less. Mmmm well... And that's when you see the two guys in the median lighting up the charcoal on the grill with the small sign "BBQ" and you may feel like you are somewhere in Latin America.
The feeling doesn't last long. When you reach 27th Ave the huge columns holding the metro-rail structure take you back to place. Because, even though the Miami-Dade public transportation is fairly criticize, in that section, which connects Hialeah to Allapattah, it looks like it belongs to a modern urban city.
After making a U-turn you may notice the huge pink building decorated with mosaics on the walls and well- maintained gardens on the north side of 62nd St. (MLK Blvd.) It is the Dade County Human Services Office, home of the largest department in the county that looks up for infants to elderlies, disabled to veterans, refugees to farm workers and all kinds of victims from domestic violence to rehabilitated ones.
In is not in vain that this place in called the Model City and lays right on the heart of Miami. Then you may pass by all your previous assumptions and take Liberty City as just another part of Miami, with problems but also people trying to make it work.
Especially on election day.
The parking lot of the headquarters of district 5 candidate Allison Austin was crowded. Some cars were coming others were going. Inside a group of volunteers were checking the lists to determine who was the next to be send to the polling places. Those leaving were caring boxes with flyers and hoping Austin could beat the favorite, Reverend Richard Dunn, on the race for City Commisionner.
Three blocks away from there, at the shopping mall were the campaign office of Ronda Vangates was located things looked rather calmed. Inside two volunteer ladies chatted with Robert Brown who came from Washington D.C. to help on the effort. They seemed confident that Vangates could win the election for school board of district 2.
Greg Burrel, who was there too, didn't want to venture on a result yet, and it was not until we were along that he clear up why he was previously that same day at the campaign of Allison Austin and now at Ronda Vangates. "You are not following me right?"he asked. "It is what it is, [they don't run in the same election] and I'm just making a living in Liberty City."
A few miles away from there, Bendross-Mindigall, district 2 school board candidate, made a stop at her headquarters to have lunch with her organized campaign team. The small office was packed with volunteers wearing red t-shirts, talking, sending text messages, answering phone calls. The 68 years-old candidate appeared relax while eating some local-restaurant chicken wings. She was wearing her traditional head scarf and was confident in celebrating a victory that same night.
When I left Liberty City the closing of polls was getting near and I new I was going to be back anytime soon to pay some final visits. Who was going to win and who was going to loose was unknown, but in the 305 you can always tie.
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