South Dade BGLOs host Mayoral Candidate Forum, Thursday, July 30, 2020

SOUTH DADE – The South Dade Divine 9 Pact (SDD9) hosted a mayoral candidate forum centered on issues affecting the residents of south Miami-Dade County.

The Pact Members

The pact members – led by Leslie Elus, President of the Iota Pi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated – included the Pi Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Richmond-Perrine Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, Pi Nu Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, Miami Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Theta Rho Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, Mu Gamma Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, and Eta Kappa Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated.

The Florida New Majority and South Dade NAACP also served as sponsors of the mayoral candidate forum.

The activity was held at Second Baptist Church located in Richmond Heights and was streamed on the church’s Facebook Live and YouTube social media pages.

The event moderators were former Florida State Senator Dwight Bullard and Reverend Dr. Alphonso Jackson, Sr., Lead Pastor of Second Baptist Church.

Kay Dawson, Immediate Past President of the Miami Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. noted that “the diversity of the hosts and the focus on South Dade issues is what differentiated this forum from other [mayoral candidate] forums I’ve participated in.”

Mayoral Candidates

Miami’s mayoral race currently boasts a field of seven candidates all of whom were in attendance.

• Commissioner Daniella Levine-Cava
• Commissioner Steve Bovo
• Commissioner Xaiver Suarez
• Former Mayor Alex Penelas
• Monique Barley, Ludamilla Domond
• Carlos De Armas

The forum moderators facilitated spirited discussion on topics spanning employment opportunities, transportation, housing, police brutality, and the candidates’ plans for rebuilding the city post the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mayoral forum is the South Dade Divine 9 Pact’s first of a series of activities to increase voter education and access to politics for residents in southern Miami-Dade County.

The Pact plans to continue its efforts within the south metropolitan communities by conducting voter registration, vote by mail, and census awareness activities into the fall months of the election season.

Commissioner Cava shared that “the guidance of the Divine Nine represents the highest of service values” within African American communities.

There are nine historically Black Greek Lettered Organizations (BGLOs) that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council.  Collectively, these organizations may be referred to as the Divine Nine.

Between 1906 and 1920, eight of these organizations formed social societies to provide support and framework for the academic, professional, social, and civic ambitions of its collegiate members during the Progressive Era.