Miami Gardens youth mentoring nonprofit Generational Cure returns to the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex this Saturday for its 10th Annual Black & White Gala, "A Night for the Stars," an evening honoring extraordinary young people from across South Florida. The milestone celebration, marking a decade of impact, kicks off at 6 p.m. at the complex at 3000 NW 199th Street and is being held in collaboration with the City of Miami Gardens and Vice Mayor Robert Stephens III.
Tickets are $75 for individual admission or $600 for a table of eight, according to City of Miami Gardens, which is promoting the event alongside Generational Cure. Seating is limited, and organizers are encouraging attendees to buy tickets in advance through Eventbrite.
A Decade of Mentorship Behind the Ballroom Doors
Generational Cure Corp was founded in 2011 by CEO Charles Williams as a Miami-based youth mentoring organization that provides cross-cultural mentoring and coaching for young people in low socio-economic South Florida communities, according to Black Professionals Summit. The organization reports an 88 percent high school graduation and program completion rate among the youth it serves.
Proceeds from the Black & White Gala fund Generational Cure's annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities tour, which exposes South Florida high schoolers to higher education opportunities, according to a Miami Gardens City Council resolution reviewed by City of Miami Gardens. The 2023 resolution, No. 2023-103-1993, also authorized discretionary funding from then-Councilman Stephens' special events account to cover facility usage and staffing fees for the gala.
Fresh Faces Headline the Milestone Program
This year's 10th anniversary edition features radio personality Desiree Hall as host and Mario Smith as keynote speaker, according to a Facebook video posted by Generational Cure founder Charles Williams. The evening will also include the presentation of the Jason Jenkins award, which honors outstanding local youth in memory of the late Miami Dolphins executive.
Vice Mayor Stephens, who is joining the gala as a co-host, was appointed to the Miami Gardens City Council for At-Large Seat 6 in September 2020, elected to a full term in August 2022, and qualified unopposed for re-election to the same seat this August. His long tenure reflects the sustained public-private partnership between City Hall and Generational Cure.
Before entering municipal office, Stephens served as Youth and Young Adult Pastor at Logos Baptist Church and worked in higher education administration at Barry University's Biomedical Sciences Program, according to Black Professionals Summit. He holds degrees from Miami Dade College and Florida International University.
The Namesake Behind Miami Gardens' Civic Anchor
The Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex takes its name from the late Miami-Dade County Commissioner Betty T. Ferguson, an educator and community activist who helped lead the movement to incorporate Miami Gardens as an independent city in 2003, according to Miami Dade College. Ferguson served as a county commissioner for more than a decade and taught at the college for 30 years.
The complex remains a central hub for Miami Gardens gatherings, serving as home turf for Florida Memorial University's Lions football team, according to Florida Memorial University. It's also the traditional conclusion point for the city's annual Trayvon Martin Peace Walk, the subject of our coverage of the Peace Walk, and it has also anchored our city center groundbreaking coverage.
Why Youth Empowerment Resonates in Miami Gardens
Miami Gardens was incorporated on May 13, 2003, as the 33rd municipality in Miami-Dade County, and it's now the county's third-most populous city with more than 105,000 residents spread across roughly 20 square miles, according to the city's own profile.
The city is also Florida's most populous majority-Black municipality, with Black or African American residents making up about 67 percent of the population, according to Wikipedia, a distinction that keeps youth empowerment programs like Generational Cure's HBCU tour and gala central to civic life in Miami Gardens.
