Before he became a Kung Fu master, Tampa native Garret Brumfield studied electrical engineering at Tuskegee University, going on to make the rounds as a public school teacher and underground boxer. He now teaches Wing Chun Kung Fu at a studio on Fletcher Avenue, after training for 13 years and gaining 4X Black Sash Sifu certification under the IP Man system (yes, like the movie). Brumfield, following in the tradition of martial artists immortalized in movies, recently appeared in “Paper Line,” a short about a secret fraternity of Black martial artists at a prestigious HBCU. No doubt that Brumfield is engineering a new era of inclusive and approachable martial arts training through his inspirational teaching style, focused on the well-being of mind, body and spirit. tampawingchunkungfu.com
People, Places and Politics
As Governor DeSantis cracked down on the ever-elusive CRT boogeyman in public schools, James Michael Shaw Jr. had a different idea: educate the public. But the local lawyer had to do it in a creative way. He made a promo video for a “forbidden” Critical Race Theory event, which would let people know what the words actually meant, rather than just stoking fear in the public, as DeSantis is known to do. @jamesshawjr on Twitter
Tampa Police headquarters is chock full of controversy. Last year, the department was caught in close to two scandals a month. This year, the controversies are adding up. Through a public records request, CL caught the department using geofencing, a spying tactic that has caused uproar around the country, because average citizens can often get caught in an unconstitutional digital dragnet. TPD didn’t offer comment for the story.
The Times editorial board knew that Judge Jared Smith had denied a 17-year-old abortion and that he was found to have abused his judicial discretion in making that decision. But the board still endorsed—or “recommended” in the paper’s eyes—the right-wing evangelist judge. As CL uncovered more disturbing behavior from Smith, the Times continued to stand by its man. But the endorsement didn’t work, and in a rare upset, Smith, an incumbent judge, lost to Nancy Jacobs. You gotta give it to the Times for sticking it out until the end. @tbtimes_opinion on Twitter
The Ybor Misfits started as an apartment living room project, but has grown into a local institution. So much so that the group has teamed up with the cigar-famous J.C. Newman Family to create a micro-sanctuary in Ybor, which can house several chickens in need. The Misfits also fought the city’s attempt to eradicate the chickens a few years back, which would have destroyed an important aspect of Tampa history. @theybormisfits on Instagram
