The 44 Percent: Remembering Enid Pinkney, stabilizing Haiti, Nate Robinson’s fight

So much history was lost to Black Americans when our ancestors were forced to the Americas as a part of slavery. It is for that reason that elements of our culture -- recipes, songs, family history, landmarks -- that cannot be found in textbooks are so important to us.

For many Black people in Miami, Enid Pinkney was a griot; a gatekeeper of our journeys that always welcomed people in because of her knowledge of the Black diaspora relative to Miami. She died Thursday at age 92 and while she will be missed, her work and legacy will live forever.

INSIDE THE 305

‘Her heritage was important to her.’ Miami preservationist, historian Enid Pinkney dead at 92

Herald reporter C. Isaiah Smalls II eulogized the late Black Miami historian Enid Pinkney. Pinkney passed away early Thursday morning

Miami historian and preservationist Enid Pinkney passed away Thursday at age 92, her nephew Gary Allen confirmed.

Pinkney’s passion for preserving the history of Miami’s Black pioneers, landmarks and distinguished citizens can be felt throughout the city.

“Her heritage was important to her so she carried herself in a dignified way,” Allen said, calling her “the queen.” “Her heart was authentic when it came to historic preservation. Her work shows that. She did that tirelessly without expecting anything.”

Without Pinkney, landmarks like the Historic Hampton House would have been demolished. The same goes for the Miami Circle at Brickell Pointe and the Lemon City Cemetery. In the eyes of many Black Miamians, she personified the pride and diligence necessary to preserve their heritage.

200 more Kenyan police arrive in Haiti to help country tackle violent criminal gangs:

Herald reporter Jacqueline Charles wrote about how a second group of Kenyan police arrived in Haiti to combat local gangs.

A second group of Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti Tuesday morning, three weeks after the first contingent of 200 specialized cops were deployed to the troubled Caribbean nation to help its police take on criminal armed gangs, a police source confirmed to the Miami Herald.

The second wave of 200 officers brings the total number of Kenyan police in Haiti to 400, which is the number of cops initially vetted and prepped for the first phase of the United Nations-backed and largely U.S.-funded Multinational Security Support, known as the MSS, mission. Upon descending the staircase of the Boeing 777-2U8ER Omni Air International aircraft, the cops, dressed in camouflage uniforms and tan-colored boots, were greeted with a handshake and a welcome by Haiti Police Chief Rameau Normil and Force Commander Godfrey Otunge on the tarmac.

OUTSIDE THE 305

Inside Nate Robinson’s silent battle -- and his fight to live

Former NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion Nate Robinson is known for his acrobatic playing style. Robinson has been in search of a kidney and this ESPN story from Baxter Holmes discusses how the outpouring of support and potential donors has captivated him.

ON THURSDAY, APRIL 11, a man by the name of Reginald Ballard was sitting at his home in Pasadena, California, when his phone buzzed. The actor, known for his roles on the sitcoms “Martin” and “The Bernie Mac Show,” opened a text message from his wife.

She had sent a story about ex-NBA guard Nate Robinson.

Two days prior, Robinson had publicly shared deeply personal and devastating news -- he was years into kidney failure, and he didn’t know how long he’d have left to live if he didn’t receive a transplant.

“Both of my kidneys are shot,” Robinson later told ESPN.

Ballard was confused. This seemed like old news, he thought. Hadn’t he read a story about Robinson facing this same issue two years ago?

Ballard, an avid sports fan, had faced kidney failure himself in December 2020. On the day of his diagnosis, his doctor explained the Paired Kidney Exchange program through the National Kidney Registry.

Speedy Morman interviews President Joe Biden

Complex video host Speedy Morman is known for entertaining and memorable interviews, but this latest edition with President Joe Biden may be his most important yet.

HIGH CULTURE

I Knew Diddy for Years. What I Now Remember Haunts Me.

I got to sit in on a conference session a few years ago where hip-hop journalists Danyel Smith and her husband Elliott Wilson spoke candidly about the ups and downs of their careers working in hip-hop media and was blown away.

Smith speaks and writes with the elegance of a sage and in this New York Times Magazine story, she writes about the complexities of her interactions with embattled mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.

A thing happened between Sean Combs and me. Unlike what he has been accused of over the last eight months, what occurred between us was not sexual. It was professional — demonstrative of the way dynamic and domineering men moved in our heyday. Combs and I worked together a lot. Competed, in our way. So often I thought I came out on top. I was mistaken. I had reason to fear for my life. What happened was insidious. It broke my brain. I forgot the worst of it for 27 years.

Where does “The 44 Percent” name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletter’s title.