Latest news with #St.Fort
Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
44 percent: Black film in Miami, Larenz Tate, Victoria Rowell and Ananda Lewis
On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of attending one of South Florida People of Color's Awkward Dinners. This particular dinner centered on Caribbean heritage, as June is Caribbean Heritage Month, and featured a showing of Haitian-American artist Vickie Pierre's latest exhibit Vickie Pierre: The Maiden is The Warrior, which features her Poupées in the Bush series of collages. But it was her piece 'I Birthed You a World with a tear in My Heart' that captured me, displaying a youthful innocence before the world has yet revealed itself to us for how harsh and unkind it can be. The piece, in some ways, was an allegory for the stories told during the dinner conversation, which focused on Caribbean heritage and eventually gave way to Immigration and Customs Enforcement patrols and cancellation of temporary protection status for many immigrants in the United States. Some noted their parents came to America for what they perceived as more opportunity for their children, but those who were first- or second-generation immigrants felt the dream their parents were sold was a lie, as one woman put it. Others noted that there needs to be more care and attention to what is happening in their home countries, even as they make their way in the United States. But many longed for what they considered home: the ability to go back to the island that shaped them and their lineage and served as a vessel to learn about their heritage. It begs the question: What is home when you're in a country that consistently tells you you're not wanted and your home country, or your parents' land, is in such disarray that returning is not possible? INSIDE THE 305: This Haitian American funeral director makes Miami families feel seen For two decades, Evan St. Fort's funeral home has been a fixture for Haitian Americans in South Florida because of how he handles families with care, Minority Business reporter Michael Buther reports. When Miramar native Evans St. Fort opened St. Fort's Funeral Home in North Miami Beach in 2003, clients were skeptical of a funeral director still in his 20s. After sitting with him for a consultation, however, they quickly realized that St. Fort had far more experience than his youthful demeanor suggested, since St. Fort had spent his childhood watching his father manage a funeral home in Haiti. 'Clients would come and sit with me and look at me crazy because I was just 24 years old, but I knew what I was doing,' he said. 'They just couldn't believe that they were talking to someone so young.' Black Film Festival spotlights Black storytelling with a made-in-Miami film Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kionne McGhee's humble beginnings will be told through the film, 'The Reject,' airing at the American Black Film Festival this week. McGhee's film adds to the uptick in Black stories coming out of Miami. Herb Coleman, Miami entrepreneur who served food and his community, dies at 62 Known for serving communities through his food, Herbert 'Herb' Coleman died last month at 62. As Butler writes: Kendall entrepreneur Herbert 'Herb' Coleman thrived in the food industry for more than 30 years because of his penchant for finding solutions and connecting with people on a personal level. He had various ventures in the business, from running Nathan's Famous franchises to serving food in a mobile kitchen at the Olympics, before his death last month at age 62. OUTSIDE THE 305: Gang violence in Haiti has displaced nearly 1.3 million people. It's a new record Nearly 1.3 million Haitians have had to flee their homes, according to the United Nations International Organization for Migration. As Haiti correspondent Jacqueline Charles reported: The surge is the highest number of people ever displaced by violence in Haiti, and represents a 24% increase since December, according to a recently published Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) report by IOM. Former MTV VJ and talk show host Ananda Lewis dies at 52 Ananda Lewis, the beloved talk show host and MTV VJ, lost her battle with breast cancer this week. For those that grew up watching BET, we knew her as the thoughtful, kind host of Teen Summit, a series that centered the issues affecting Black youth and how to deal with them. She was a breath of fresh air at a time when we didn't always feel heard. HIGH CULTURE: Larenz Tate, Nia Long, Victoria Rowell and more at ABFF Black creators are taking center stage at the American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach this week, including the ever-fine Larenz Tate who will be in conversation with 'Love Jones' co-star Nia Long. Actress, producer and famed soap star Victoria Rowell is also debuting two films at the festival. We've also made a list of some films to catch if you're going. Where does 'The 44 Percent' name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletter's title.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This Haitian American funeral director makes Miami families feel seen
When Miramar native Evans St. Fort opened St. Fort's Funeral Home in North Miami Beach in 2003, clients were skeptical of a funeral director still in his 20s. After sitting with him for a consultation, however, they quickly realized that St. Fort had far more experience than his youthful demeanor suggested, since St. Fort had spent his childhood watching his father manage a funeral home in Haiti. 'Clients would come and sit with me and look at me crazy because I was just 24 years old, but I knew what I was doing,' he said. 'They just couldn't believe that they were talking to someone so young.' Under St. Fort's leadership, the funeral home has become well-known among Miami's Haitian community and has served thousands of families over the past two-plus decades. While small mom-and-pop funeral homes have increasingly become a target for private equity and corporate ownership, St. Fort, now 46, said he has rejected offers to buy his business, preferring to keep the operation family-run. St. Fort's commitment to both the Miami community and to Haiti, where families were offered free funeral services following the 2010 earthquake, was recently recognized by the city of North Miami Beach, which renamed a street 'St. Fort Drive' last weekend. St. Fort grew up in Miramar and spent his summers with family in Haiti, where his father, Joseph St. Fort, had opened a funeral home in the '90s. He graduated from Miramar High School in 1997 and attended St. Thomas University before pursuing a degree in mortuary studies at Lynn University. After graduating in 2002, St. Fort had an internship at a funeral home while also working part-time at other funeral homes. Although he was just starting his professional career, he had a strong interest in building his own business and eventually found a vacant building that had previously been used as a funeral home in North Miami Beach that he hoped to purchase. St. Fort was 25 at the time, but his persistence in negotiating with the owners of the property paid off. He bought the funeral home using money he received after being in a car accident and funding from his parents and set a goal of becoming the best Black-owned funeral home in Miami. One of the first things he did was update the aesthetics of the traditional funeral home. 'When you walk into our funeral home, the way I wanted to set it up was to make it feel like you're in a hotel lobby,' he said. 'We went with high-end fixtures, nice furniture — modern, contemporary, fresh — so that when you're walking in, you're not feeling depressed.' The facility includes a chapel and reception space and offers cremation services. St. Fort said the business now manages an average of five funerals a week, with him and his team of eight sometimes servicing two funerals at the same time. He has noticed that more clients in recent years are opting for cremation services, as costs for funerals and grave spaces have risen. In that time, corporate entities have been buying out family-run businesses, and the increasingly pricey Miami real estate market has also had an effect. 'When I first got into the business, you could purchase a space [at a local cemetery] for $2,000,' he said, 'Now, you can't get a space cheaper than $15,000. So the reason I say it's dangerous is because what's happening is they're not giving families options anymore.' Today, St. Fort estimates that 70% of business comes via word of mouth. Miami postal worker Carr Alexis, 50, has known St. Fort for years and said he would not have had his late mother's service at any other funeral home. As a Haitian man, there are certain nuances that he only felt comfortable with a Haitian funeral director handling, he said. 'We Haitian people are very dignified,' he said. 'Evans doesn't go about Americanizing [our funerals].' St. Fort has noticed many things about Haitian funerals that separate them from typical American funerals. For example, the color red is frowned upon and cannot be worn. If a child dies, the parents cannot follow the deceased child into the cemetery. Passing out is common during Haitian funerals, and if one person passes out, others generally follow. Similarly, if one person yells loudly during a funeral, other people will, too. 'Haitians are much more emotional and comfortable with sharing their emotions,' he said. Despite Alexis' reassurances about St. Fort, he said his relatives from Montreal came to Miami for his mother's funeral with high standards and a skepticism about whether St. Fort would be able to give her the send-off she deserved. But by the end of the services, they agreed he had lived up to their expectations. 'When everything was done, all I saw was hugs and handshakes thrown at Evans,' Alexis said. Through his work, St. Fort said he has had the opportunity to plan services for the families of some prominent figures in the community, including Haitian musician Wyclef Jean and three-time Miami Heat champion Udonis Haslem. Having Jean sit in St. Fort's office to plan a family member's funeral was a full-circle moment for the funeral director, who grew up hearing people say negative things about the country from which his family came. 'When I was young, I was afraid to tell people that I was Haitian,' St. Fort said. 'But one day I was watching TV and I was watching a Fugees concert, and I saw Wyclef hold up the Haitian flag. When they blew up, I was like, 'Man, so it's not so bad to be Haitian.'' St. Fort said that while his funeral home has received 'a lot' of offers from prospective buyers, including some north of $5 million, he has declined because selling runs counter to his family's mission. 'When we've been approached, I've talked to my family about it, and the goal was not to build something and sell it but build something for the community and pass it along generations,' he said. In addition to the North Miami Beach facility, St. Fort in March opened a funeral home in Riverdale Park, Maryland, with a college classmate who has had success in the area, and he has also started a yacht rental business. His passion for serving others, however, is central to the work his father started in Haiti decades ago. He recommends that anyone pursuing a similar career have the same intention in mind. 'Don't initially get into it thinking, 'I'm doing this strictly for money,' because if you go in there thinking that, it's not going to work,' he said. 'You really have to have a place in your heart where you're about serving people.'
Miami Herald
05-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
This Haitian American funeral director makes Miami families feel seen
When Miramar native Evans St. Fort opened St. Fort's Funeral Home in North Miami Beach in 2003, clients were skeptical of a funeral director still in his 20s. After sitting with him for a consultation, however, they quickly realized that St. Fort had far more experience than his youthful demeanor suggested, since St. Fort had spent his childhood watching his father manage a funeral home in Haiti. 'Clients would come and sit with me and look at me crazy because I was just 24 years old, but I knew what I was doing,' he said. 'They just couldn't believe that they were talking to someone so young.' Under St. Fort's leadership, the funeral home has become well-known among Miami's Haitian community and has served thousands of families over the past two-plus decades. While small mom-and-pop funeral homes have increasingly become a target for private equity and corporate ownership, St. Fort, now 46, said he has rejected offers to buy his business, preferring to keep the operation family-run. St. Fort's commitment to both the Miami community and to Haiti, where families were offered free funeral services following the 2010 earthquake, was recently recognized by the city of North Miami Beach, which renamed a street 'St. Fort Drive' last weekend. St. Fort grew up in Miramar and spent his summers with family in Haiti, where his father, Joseph St. Fort, had opened a funeral home in the '90s. He graduated from Miramar High School in 1997 and attended St. Thomas University before pursuing a degree in mortuary studies at Lynn University. After graduating in 2002, St. Fort had an internship at a funeral home while also working part-time at other funeral homes. Although he was just starting his professional career, he had a strong interest in building his own business and eventually found a vacant building that had previously been used as a funeral home in North Miami Beach that he hoped to purchase. St. Fort was 25 at the time, but his persistence in negotiating with the owners of the property paid off. He bought the funeral home using money he received after being in a car accident and funding from his parents and set a goal of becoming the best Black-owned funeral home in Miami. One of the first things he did was update the aesthetics of the traditional funeral home. 'When you walk into our funeral home, the way I wanted to set it up was to make it feel like you're in a hotel lobby,' he said. 'We went with high-end fixtures, nice furniture — modern, contemporary, fresh — so that when you're walking in, you're not feeling depressed.' The facility includes a chapel and reception space and offers cremation services. St. Fort said the business now manages an average of five funerals a week, with him and his team of eight sometimes servicing two funerals at the same time. He has noticed that more clients in recent years are opting for cremation services, as costs for funerals and grave spaces have risen. In that time, corporate entities have been buying out family-run businesses, and the increasingly pricey Miami real estate market has also had an effect. 'When I first got into the business, you could purchase a space [at a local cemetery] for $2,000,' he said, 'Now, you can't get a space cheaper than $15,000. So the reason I say it's dangerous is because what's happening is they're not giving families options anymore.' Today, St. Fort estimates that 70% of business comes via word of mouth. Miami postal worker Carr Alexis, 50, has known St. Fort for years and said he would not have had his late mother's service at any other funeral home. As a Haitian man, there are certain nuances that he only felt comfortable with a Haitian funeral director handling, he said. 'We Haitian people are very dignified,' he said. 'Evans doesn't go about Americanizing [our funerals].' St. Fort has noticed many things about Haitian funerals that separate them from typical American funerals. For example, the color red is frowned upon and cannot be worn. If a child dies, the parents cannot follow the deceased child into the cemetery. Passing out is common during Haitian funerals, and if one person passes out, others generally follow. Similarly, if one person yells loudly during a funeral, other people will, too. 'Haitians are much more emotional and comfortable with sharing their emotions,' he said. Despite Alexis' reassurances about St. Fort, he said his relatives from Montreal came to Miami for his mother's funeral with high standards and a skepticism about whether St. Fort would be able to give her the send-off she deserved. But by the end of the services, they agreed he had lived up to their expectations. 'When everything was done, all I saw was hugs and handshakes thrown at Evans,' Alexis said. Through his work, St. Fort said he has had the opportunity to plan services for the families of some prominent figures in the community, including Haitian musician Wyclef Jean and three-time Miami Heat champion Udonis Haslem. Having Jean sit in St. Fort's office to plan a family member's funeral was a full-circle moment for the funeral director, who grew up hearing people say negative things about the country from which his family came. 'When I was young, I was afraid to tell people that I was Haitian,' St. Fort said. 'But one day I was watching TV and I was watching a Fugees concert, and I saw Wyclef hold up the Haitian flag. When they blew up, I was like, 'Man, so it's not so bad to be Haitian.'' St. Fort said that while his funeral home has received 'a lot' of offers from prospective buyers, including some north of $5 million, he has declined because selling runs counter to his family's mission. 'When we've been approached, I've talked to my family about it, and the goal was not to build something and sell it but build something for the community and pass it along generations,' he said. In addition to the North Miami Beach facility, St. Fort in March opened a funeral home in Riverdale Park, Maryland, with a college classmate who has had success in the area, and he has also started a yacht rental business. His passion for serving others, however, is central to the work his father started in Haiti decades ago. He recommends that anyone pursuing a similar career have the same intention in mind. 'Don't initially get into it thinking, 'I'm doing this strictly for money,' because if you go in there thinking that, it's not going to work,' he said. 'You really have to have a place in your heart where you're about serving people.'
