Celebrating Black History Month

99 JAMZ, the people’s station and Boost Mobile are turning up for Black History Month, shining a spotlight on the South Florida Black community that built the culture we live for. We honor the legends and trailblazers who paved the way on the streets, in the studios, and in our neighborhoods, while celebrating the next generation of movers, shakers, and game-changers keeping the legacy alive.

This month, we reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and look forward to the future of South Florida talent shaping our city, our music, and our culture. Black excellence is more than history, it’s the energy, the hustle, and the vision that keeps us winning every day.

Connect for less with Boost Mobile!


1	REVEREND SAMUEL DELEVOE WAS AN ARMY VETERAN AND ONE OF FORT LAUDERDALE’S FIRST BLACK POLICE OFFICERS, WHO LATER BECAME A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, POLITICIAN, BUSINESSMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER, AND STREET MINISTER.
2	HOWARD GARY, PROMINENT BOND DEALER AND MIAMI’S FIRST BLACK CITY MANAGER. GARY, AN INVESTMENT BANKER, UNDERWRITER, AND SECURITIES DEALER BASED IN SOUTH FLORIDA, WAS MIAMI’S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN AND YOUNGEST CITY MANAGER, SERVING FROM 1981 TO 1984.
3	JOHNNY JONES, WAS THE FIRST BLACK SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS IN DADE COUNTY. JOHNNY JONES WENT FROM PICKING COTTON TO BUSBOY TO SHORT-ORDER COOK TO SUPERINTENDENT OF THE NATION’S FIFTH-LARGEST SCHOOL SYSTEM.
4	THE LEGACY OF THOMAS J. REDDICK JR. HE MADE HISTORY AS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN ATTORNEY TO PRACTICE LAW AND OPEN AN OFFICE IN BROWARD COUNTY, AND HE WAS ALSO THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE IN THE STATE.
5	GWENDOLYN “GWEN” SAWYER CHERRY, SHE MADE HISTORY AS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI LAW SCHOOL AND THE FIRST TO PRACTICE LAW IN DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA. HER LEGACY CONTINUES TO INSPIRE MANY TODAY.
6	JOSEPH MIDDLEBROOKS, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN REGISTERED LICENSED ARCHITECT IN FLORIDA
7	CHARLES MITCHELL, FIRST BLACK THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN ENGINEER IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA
8	CHERISE GAUSE, SHE MADE HISTORY AS THE FIRST HAITIAN-AMERICAN WOMAN TO ASSUME THE ROLE OF CHIEF IN NORTH MIAMI.
9	JERRY RUSHIN, A RADIO PIONEER BACK IN 1980, “SUPER JERRY J” MADE HISTORY AS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO MANAGE A RADIO STATION IN SOUTH FLORIDA WHEN HE WAS APPOINTED GENERAL MANAGER OF WEDR-99JAMZ. TODAY, JERRY RUSHIN - THE FORMER VP AND GENERAL MANAGER OF CMG MIAMI - IS STILL LEADING THE WAY.
10	MAX ROBINSON, THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN BROADCAST NETWORK NEWS ANCHOR IN AMERICAN TELEVISION HISTORY. ROBINSON WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS.