"Signs of Intelligent Life... in South Florida" by v. johns
Culturally and legislatively, our citizens generally don't seem to hold much interest in creating a region that's heavy on arts, culture and a life of the mind. On a personal level, this dynamic can make life pretty uncomfortable for university types like myself as it limits my enjoyment of life in my own backyard. But besides that, on a broader level, many Floridians, natives, long-timers, visitors and newcomers alike, are left to feel that there's just not enough here to make our region as livable and enjoyable as it could be.
Its one thing for transplanted northerners, used to various amenities that we may not have, to be uneasy about this dynamic. But their social structure compensates for it as any of them seek out, bump into and network with each other to make this strange place feel more like home. It's quite another for natives such as myself to have to not only be deprived of more amenities but to have to explain to outsiders why Florida slacks so much on education, social equality and diversity of life.
On a personal level, my general classification as a "nerd" or "square" among blacks, and other minoroities, and as a "big, scary suspicious-looking black man" among whites, and various other minorities, not to mention my lack of wealth, places some limits on my social life. On one hand, I don't adhere to ethnic constraints or class or ettiquite. On the other hand, I still fall victim to class warfare, discrimination and racial mistrust. Very little refuge, if any, for people such as myself. That's just me, personally. But, in terms of what I believe we need in South Florida for our our region thrive and work well for all who live here, I'm asking you this: Even if you just love this place and fit into the South Florida landscape perfectly, with no hassle, honestly, does it not frighten you that our state government allows its education system to run on fumes? Does it not frighten you that people who could be and should be participating in an evermore diverse state and regional society are opting out and giving up? If it doesn't, chances are, you're just here for the party and not for the monumental task we all have ahead of us in building this region into the dynamic regional powerhouse and metropolitan paradise that it has been rumored to be.
Only through education, character-building civics and other middle-class values can this building of a real international regional powerhouse be done. Otherwise, we will continue to flounder and be known as a very pretty place but with bizarre, rude, poorly-trained and severely under-educated people. All style and no substance. In that regard, our general neglect of education, arts and culture is quite appalling.
The mere thought that education, diversity, character and things of the mind are secondary, at best, in this part of our state -- the economic backbone of this state -- and hold no real, significant influence or sway in South Florida's leisurely, hedonistic and over-gentrified environment should offend anyone who truly embraces the plight of the middle class in America. While the Old Middle Class was built on labor and toil, the New Middle Class owes its currently dwindling fortunes to its information and knowledge-based economy that peaked in the late 90's and early 2000's. Both models of success require hard work, drive and talent, by the way. But if there is no system to facilitate the gathering of the fruits of all that hard work, the American Dream, what point is there in dreaming to begin with? What fool works hard with no expectation of life, liberty and happiness?
Getting back to my fantasy of a New York City-style intellectual and cultural environment existing and thriving abundantly here in our version of the tropics, as I mentioned in my last article, I don't want to espouse the snobbish northern notion that we Floridians are all a bunch of uneducated and culturally illiterate dummies. My argument is that a more diverse, scholarly and intellectually welcoming environment would benefit our state in ways that would make New York and California jealous. I see many things on that level taking shape as we speak --the luring of Scripps and Max Planck, for example.
Despite my fatalistic view of paradise's pitfalls, there are signs of hope. If you look more closely, you'll find that curiosity and genius do exist in South Florida. In surprisingly large quantities. Its just that support for these attributes are not as celebrated, organized, centralized or abundantly clear as it is elsewhere. You generally won't find entire neighborhoods of authors, writers, actors, dancers, etc. like you would find in a crowded, centralized place like New York City. But the talent and the brains, outside engineering, are definitely there. Without it, South Florida would not be as vibrant and alive as it is today!
The culture of art, science, enlightenment and a life of the mind, though fueled heavily by retirees and other outsiders, exists throughout the region and shows many signs of promise. Look at all the museums, libraries and art galleries that popped up during the housing boom. Look at the record numbers of people that showed up to see the King Tut exhibit in Lauderdale in 2006. Thousands of people throughout the day, lined up to see a dead man's bling. Imagine that. I went to this exhibit, by the way. It felt pretty darn good to see that many people getting out and enjoying something that much other than a big sports event of some sort. Even if most of the people there were from elsewhere, it's still proof of a growing hunger and demand for a more prominent and accessible intellectual scene in this part of the country. Many people here are apparently thirsting for more of this kind of entertainment and aesthetic stimulation. On that note, I envy Chicago. We all should. Where's our Millenium Park?
In conclusion, while other areas like New York, Boston, Chicago and Atlanta are well-known for their arts and culture and their solid educational, industrial and business assets, Miami and the rest of South Florida continue to be seen as primarily leisurely, hedonistic and lacking in any real substance. Still, the opening of the Kravis Center in west Palm Beach years ago, the revival of the Sunrise Theatre in Ft. Pierce and the recent christening of the enormous Carnival Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, shows that there is a mild, but growing interest in creating a more arts, culture and education-centered environment all over South Florida. And with the arrival of biotech brandnames like Burnham, Torrey Pines, VGTI, Scripps and Max Planck, this injection and attraction of more and more brain power to our state will benefit professionals, service workers and tradesmen alike --creating core jobs that in turn create other jobs from other supporting industries. Our economy is already one of the most diverse in the nation. Thus, adding more biotech and strengthening other burgeoning industries will only further and improve our standing among other regions and states...
No comments:
Post a Comment