PACT: ‘This is what democracy looks like’

By Marlene Quaroni - Florida Catholic

Photography: MARLENE QUARONI | FC

MIAMI | This is what democracy looks like.

“To the young people here tonight, I hope you see the seeds of justice growing around you,” said Rabbi Gary Glickstein of Temple Beth Sholom, Miami Beach.

He was speaking to nearly 1,500 people gathered at Notre Dame d’Haiti Church March 19 for the annual Nehemiah Action Assembly of PACT (People Acting in Community Together).

Rabbi Glickstein serves as PACT’s vice president for membership strengthening. The group’s current president is Msgr. Chanel Jeanty, archdiocesan chancellor for canonical affairs and pastor of St. James Church, North Miami.

“We need you to be at meetings. We need you to vote for the people who support us. We need you to do the work of democracy,” Rabbi Glickstein said.

PACT, founded in 1988, is the largest politically nonpartisan, faith-based, grassroots community organization in Miami-Dade County, a coalition of 40 churches, synagogues, mosques and universities. The group represents more than 50,000 people, many of them in low income neighborhoods, and sponsors the annual assembly where members seek commitment from local leaders to address community problems.

The Nehemiah Action assembly takes its name from a fifth century BC Hebrew governor of Judea who rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls and made religious and social reforms. The assembly forum is based on his direct action.

“You have to pursue justice to make it happen,” said Glickstein in his final remarks.

This year, the Nehemiah assembly took on school discipline, immigration, affordable housing and gun violence. Members of PACT’s Justice Ministry Networks decide the agenda. The action committees adopt a reasonable and doable solution to the problems. PACT members agree to be respectful as they hold accountable the public officials present. When the officials gave affirmative answers to solutions meant to solve community problems, the audience yelled, “Let justice roll!”

Since 2011, PACT’s work has led to the elimination of out-of-school suspensions, after research showed that 8 out of the top 10 schools for such suspensions were in the top 10 zip codes for juvenile crime. The group’s work led to the creation of 11 Success Centers and the hiring of 60 new school counselors. 

PACT’s goal is to implement restorative justice throughout the county. Miami-Dade School Board Superintendent Alberto Carvalho committed to expanding restorative justice programs at an additional 49 middle schools and two high schools.

“We decided to eliminate out-of-school suspensions a number of years ago because suspension was the fastest way for kids to end up in jail,” said Carvalho. “We made mistakes in terms of implementation. But you know, if a band aid comes off fast it hurts less than if it comes off slowly. We established Success Centers to give kids hope, provide mental health and the social support they need.”

Carvalho also addressed gun violence in the community.

“There’s an insult to our community in gun violence,” he said. “Recently we saw 17 young people killed all at once, but our community has seen many more young people killed, one at a time.”

Linda Adderly of Christ the King Church in Perrine is a member of PACT’s affordable housing steering committee. She introduced the problem of affordable housing in Miami-Dade County.

“The gap between low wage workers and housing costs is the worst in the United States,” she said. “The problem is big and is intensifying.”

A parishioner at St. Benedict Church in Hialeah told the story of a single mother who was a victim of rental fraud. She lost $6,000 to a dishonest home owner.

“She applied for Section 8,” he said. “She contacted the Homeless Trust, who offered her a room at a filthy motel filled with prostitutes and drug dealing. They were able to find a decent motel room for $1,200 a month. They were stuck there for two years. Thousands of families are in the same situation.”

In 2017, City of Miami residents voted to create the Miami Forever Bond, a $400 million general obligation bond that set $100 million aside for affordable housing. PACT members asked that at least $60 million of the fund be set aside for a family of four making 50 percent or less of the Area Median Income, which is $37,750. They asked for responses from Miami City Mayor Francis Suarez, City of Miami Commission Chairman Keon Hardemon, City of Miami Commissioner Ken Russell and Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Esteban Bovo.

“We worked for over a year on this bond,” said Russell. “My co-worker on this bond, Chairman Hardemon, said he would not vote on this bond unless it’s a $100 million.”

Mayor Suarez answered yes to setting aside 50 percent of the $100 million for families making less than the AMI.

Bovo said the county has a long-term vision for future affordable housing which includes public transit.

“What we envision is having housing of the future linked to nearby transit,” he said. “This will change the dynamic. We must incentivize transit-oriented development.”

PACT is also seeking municipal identification cards for those unable to get a driver’s license. The group asked Miami-Dade commissioners Sally Heyman and Daniella Levine Cava to complete a feasibility study by September 15 for such IDs. The IDs would assist people who are homeless, undocumented individuals, and ex-offenders. Other counties have developed an administration process that doesn’t retain documents that could be used for unintended purposes.

“I will continue to press county staff to complete a feasibility study by September 15 on issuing municipal IDs throughout the county,” Cava said.

Heyman said she opposes detention for people who committed minor offenses and will continue to support issuing civil citations instead.

“We have a problem with guns and opioids,” she said. “The men and women in law enforcement should spend their time on public safety, not arresting people for minor offenses.”