The streets were empty at 11 am with the exception of the vendors who perimeter the 62nd street right next to Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park where the parade was to end, and some police officers randomly walking up and down the street. I approached one of them, Officer Dennis Segura, and talk about the violent reputation that has Liberty City in a controversial vehicle theft video game. He told me what I already knew: that it was a very dangerous city. But, Segura is not based in this city, he was sent here only for the parade, as were the other officers. Segura introduced me to his colleagues, a group of 8, and as I said, none of them is based on Liberty City, but one who had worked here before, Freddy Trillo.
“This area has always been well policed,” said Tillo, “nothing has changed.”
Officer Luis Cerra jumped in the conversation and said that the city could be better in terms of security if politicians invested more in police force presence, but as he said “ there’s no money.”
Cerra and Segura are based on the Robbery Unit of Dade County and said that the most popular robbery in Liberty City was armed robbery by teenagers of 15 to 17 years old. “Watch out for your purse,” both told me jokingly, probably trying to scare me off.
The smell of Latin food and chicken wings perfumed the fresh air that combined perfectly with the blazing sun. The vendors preparing their food, expected to have everything ready by 2 o’clock.
“This place gets packed,” said Manny Echevery the “Iceman.” “ It’s like Calle 8, but for the African Americans.”
Echevery sells ice in all events since 10 years ago. He said that as soon as the sun goes down he leaves. Last year he said he witness a shooting right here at 62nd street around 6 o’clock when there was still sunlight.
“As soon as I finish my work I leave.” I saw the Iceman deliver the ice and leave.
One of his customers Dr. Spice was selling coconut water, mango, and other fruits, perfect for the rising temperature. As he peeled the mango agilely, he told me with a Jamaican accent that he owns a vegetarian restaurant in Liberty City where he has been living for the past 10 years, and unlike the police officers and the Iceman, he said that the community is improving since Barack Obama is president.
“There has been a change in attitude,” he said. “No looking down no more.”
He compares Obama with Martin Luther King and Bob Marley, who he says he knew. Dr. Spice in his black-leather jacket sang little parts of the song he wrote for Obama before he became president: “ We’re going to see Barack Obama help us with our struggles… Blacks with better feelings…” Ramon Russell, his aide cut the coconut for me and told me that unfortunately there is still racism, and that your status depends on your color.
Martin Luther King looked serene but imposing on the murals and t-shirts. Today is his day, but some people didn’t fully realize it. “It is just another holyday and we have to work,” said Julia, from the Arepas stand.
However, there were others who knew well what this day meant. Pamela Dukes is an educator and director of Outreach, an educational program for people with disabilities, said that King inspired her to be a leader and learned since early age that a “ Common voice is stronger.” She was at the parade as a volunteer of Congressman Kendrick Meek, a local politician that is running for the senate. Dukes said that she supports him because besides being a member of the community, he is actively interested in improving education, and the more educated the community is the less violent it becomes.
She believes that all the problems of Liberty City are rooted in education. Uneducated people are the first to be unemployed and this causes problems of insecurity and resentment. “We need more politicians investing in our education,” said Dukes, “and that will fix the streets of Liberty City.”
So the police said that if more money was invested in police presence Liberty City would be safer, and Dukes said that with more money put in education more people would be skilled therefore employed, therefore not causing trouble in the streets. So is money Liberty City’s only solution? How much money can buy Liberty City out of violence?
Money is a big issue everywhere, and sometimes is a wand that can turn ugly into pretty. But in this case is ironic how people demand money for their city but do not collaborate with the census. Brand Brown, a worker at the census tent said that some people are uninformed and therefore they avoid the census because they think that they can be found and prosecuted for something or even be obliged to pay child support.
So yes, Liberty City needs money, needs education, needs jobs, need to be safe, among other things, but it has leaders and its people that are working hard to fulfill these needs.
At 4:00 pm children, men and women gathered at the end of the street for the gospel music presentation with artists rapping Christian songs with a lot of style: high heels and hats, not high-neck shirts. There was a lot of talent on that stage, making people dance and sing and repeat the word “Je-SUS.”
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