Jamaican-born Lavern Deer is a Mayoral candidate for the city of Miami Gardens. A resident of the city for more than 30 years, the political hopeful is ready to tackle issues of concern and change the negative perception of her beloved city.
“There are six priorities going into this,” explained Deer. “Number one is crime. Working in Broward, I hear a lot of people call my city Murder Gardens. I take offence to that. Yes, we have a crime issue, but murder is not the number crime in the city, it’s theft and larceny. So, you look at the root cause to see why this is such a big issue. You look at families; you look at what is happening in the homes; you look at poverty; you look at the lack of jobs and housing”.
Deer also spoke about the large population of elders and veterans in Miami Gardens, underscoring that their security is also a top issue in her platform. As well, how red light cameras process infractions is another key platform problem she plans to tackle.
“So, job creation, youth development, housing affordability, crime reduction, the red light camera processing, elderly affairs — these are my top six platform priorities”.
Leap of Faith
The community activist says running for political office was the furthest thing from her mind. Although asked to run for office a few years ago, Deer insisted she was not ready. But prodded again in August 2019 because of what others saw in her, Deer decided to take the leap of faith.
“knowing that I have a heart for my community, for the people, and youth more so than anything else, I said I can do this. I prayed about it and got confirmation, and I put my ticket out there…The question people would ask is why do you want to run, you are not a politician, you’re not an elected official. And that’s exactly why I chose to run, because I am not a politician. I am actually a service woman, I serve the people, I am a leader with a vision and a purpose”, Deer demanded.
Indeed it is her passion for youth development and education that first got her noticed. Deer began coaching football (soccer) teams at local clubs and later became involved in the Caribbean American Soccer Association. In 2012 she founded the Jamaica International Female Football Development Inc (JIFFD), an organisation created to foster the development of female footballers through education, health and wellness, and training. In fact, her advocacy helped Jamaica become the first country in the Caribbean to quality for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Her work on behalf of young people in the Caribbean and throughout South Florida also led to her work with local legislators that resulted in the Florida Department of Education implementing policy to teach human trafficking education in schools.
Asked about the genesis of her advocacy, Deer said her Caribbean heritage is what pushed her to fight for others.
“Jamaican professional boxer George Leslie ‘Bunny’ Grant was my uncle. So, when I look at my history I see that advocacy, and the fighting spirit is in my blood… That drive from my roots, my background, knowing that we are strong-minded fighters, all of that has pushed me.
Inspired
Deer has cemented some key relationships, particularly from those who have inspired her to run for office. She cites the first Mayor of Miami Gardens, Shirley Gibson, as one leader who has always stood out and motivated her. As well, former senator Maria Sachs shares her passion.
“I admire Maria Sachs because she was also advocating for human trafficking awareness and prevention. When I did my first press conference at the state capital, she was there. She embraced me, she shared with me her passion for the cause and her fight for it. And to this day, that one meeting has led to her endorsing and supporting me publicly”.
Having worked as campaign manager for the then Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness (now Broward County Mayor), Deer saw in him a staunch commitment to his constituents that moved her.
“He never stopped, he just kept working. And, he always emphasised: my people, my people, my people when he spoke about his constituents. He not only asked questions of business leaders, he held them accountable to ensure that they put minorities at the forefront when seeking contracts. He made sure that when the county was allocating funds, they understood the generic makeup of the constituents of his city”.
Outlining the generic makeup of her own city, Deer explained that according to the United Census Bureau, of the estimated 110,001 residents in the city of Miami Gardens as of July 1, 2019, 71.6 percent are Black or African American, 26.8 percent Hispanic or Latino, while 24.5 percent make up White alone population. Native Indian, Asian, Native Hawaiian and mixed race make up smaller percentages.
“Statistics have shown that black and other minorities are most affected by the negative effects of COVID-19. Knowing that Miami Gardens is majority black and hispanic means that is one of my biggest concerns. So, the first thing I did was reach out to the Vice Mayor of the city to find out what the city is doing to ensure that our people understand and are protecting themselves” Deer said.
Her advocacy has helped to classify residents even further. Deer participated in the 2009 census committee meetings, along with Lauderdale Lakes Mayor Hazelle Rogers, and petitioned for the census to have an individual line on the form so individuals can identity more specifically outside of being black, white, or Asian for example. This entry would allow individuals to write in where they were born, such as Jamaica, Nicaragua, Haiti. As a result, the 2020 Census has implemented this change.
