History
Below you’ll find a timeline, documenting DART from inception to
present. As you will see, DART continues to expand to new locations and
seeks bright, talented, driven people to contribute to DART’s
mission and history, like so many have in the past.
1977 – Rev. Herb White, staff to the United Church Board for
Homeland Ministries, United Church of Christ and several local leaders
hires John Calkins, DART’s current Executive Director and founding
member, to organize a senior citizens organization in Miami known as
Concerned Seniors of Dade. It quickly establishes itself as an
organization capable of routinely producing hundreds of people to press
city officials around fairness issues concerning seniors
1980 – A three-day riot erupts in the city of Miami after an
all-white jury acquits several white Miami police officers of beating to
death Arthur McDuffie, a black insurance salesman. Eighteen people die
during the riots and more than $100 million are lost in property damage.
Leaders from Concerned Seniors of Dade sponsor an organizing drive among
African-American congregations throughout Miami, which eventually
becomes People United to Lead the Struggle for Equality (PULSE)
organization
1980-85 – Along with winning several local issues related to
minority hiring and job creation, PULSE turns its attention to the
continued lack of accountability within the Miami police department.
Several highly suspicious incidents of police killing African-Americans
occur, yet officers are consistently being acquitted of wrongdoing in
court. PULSE discovers attorneys are routinely allowed to strike
African-Americans from the jury pool without question using what is
known as peremptory challenges. PULSE prevails at the state level making
it illegal to use peremptory challenges based on race.
1982 – The DART Center is officially incorporated to answer
invitations presented by community leaders seeking to build
congregation-based community organizations to do justice. The original
notion is to build a statewide network of local organizations in
Florida. Later, DART accepts invitations to build organizations outside
Florida. That same year, DART builds its first official affiliate to the
north in Broward County, Florida
1988 – DART assists local leaders in founding an organization in
the Hillsborough/Tampa Bay metropolitan region and also a second
organization in Miami, Florida
1988-98 – DART expands rapidly by working with local leaders to
build organizations in 13 metropolitan areas including: Florida (Daytona
Beach, Jacksonville, Lakeland, Miami, Sarasota, Tampa, West Palm Beach);
Ohio (Columbus, Dayton, Toledo); Michigan (Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo); and
Louisville, Kentucky
1999 – DART hires a fulltime National Training Coordinator,
marking a dramatic increase in DART’s capacity to develop
organizing skills among local leaders. In time, DART expands its annual
training roster to its present schedule including: 2 Five-Day
Orientation Workshops, an annual Clergy Conference, an Advanced Leader
Training Institute, as well as, providing regular local training
workshops.
2000 – DART accepts an invitation to explore organizing in
Virginia where an organization in Richmond is founded. Also, DART adds
two more affiliates in Tallahassee, Florida and Springfield, Ohio.
2001 – DART successfully launches the DART Organizers Institute to
identify and train professional community organizers. DART ultimately
adds the Organizers Institute as a major element in its annual strategic
plan to include a seven month national recruitment search, a two month
interview process, and a four month intensive initial training followed
by two years of on-going advanced training and professional organizer
development.
2002-05 DART expands to build organizations in 4 metropolitan areas
including: Evansville, Indiana; Lexington, Kentucky; St. Petersburg,
Florida; and Charlottesville, Virginia.