Brooklyn's Haitian Culture Day sends a clear message: 'We belong'

"Brooklyn's seventh annual Haitian Culture Day drew crowds through the Little Caribbean and Little Haiti neighborhoods Saturday, as elected officials, volunteers and community members marched to celebrate Haitian culture and push back against uncertainty over the community's immigration status."

"Under cloudy skies and occasional rain, a Rara band led the parade down Nostrand Avenue from Church Avenue to Flatbush Junction Saturday morning, kicking off the seventh annual Haitian Culture Day in Brooklyn. Twenty floats processed through the Little Caribbean and Little Haiti neighborhoods bearing flags, cannons and volunteers in bright feathered headdresses. Marching bands and baton twirlers strode alongside community leaders, including New York City Council Member Rita Joseph, who represents Brooklyn's 40th District and chaired the event."

"For Hermelyn, this year's theme, “We Belong,” carried weight beyond celebration and spoke directly to the current political climate. Over the past year, Haiti's Temporary Protected Status (TPS) has fluctuated, creating uncertainty for residents who fled ongoing violence. New York City has the second-largest Haitian population in the United States, according to the World Population Review. Meanwhile, Haiti remains without a functioning government, she said, and sending people back"

"Some lawmakers arrived in costume. Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, state Assembly member for the 42nd District, which includes Brooklyn's Little Haiti, dressed as Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Haiti's first emperor, who led the Haitian Revolution and established the country's independence from France in 1804."

Brooklyn’s seventh annual Haitian Culture Day drew crowds through Little Caribbean and Little Haiti neighborhoods as community members, volunteers, and elected officials marched to celebrate Haitian culture and address immigration uncertainty. Under cloudy skies, a Rara band led the parade down Nostrand Avenue from Church Avenue to Flatbush Junction. Twenty floats carried flags, cannons, and volunteers in bright feathered headdresses, alongside marching bands and baton twirlers. Council Member Rita Joseph chaired the event, with other elected officials and representatives from the Haitian Consulate and Haiti’s ambassador to Jamaica joining. Some lawmakers arrived in costume, including an assembly member dressed as Jean-Jacques Dessalines. The theme “We Belong” reflected concerns about fluctuating Temporary Protected Status, ongoing violence, and Haiti’s lack of a functioning government.

Read at The Haitian Times