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

"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. Other elected officials marching included Mercedes Narcisse of the 46th District, Farah Louis of the 45th District and Rep. Yvette Clarke of the 9th Congressional District, as well as Faiza Ali, commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs. Members of the Haitian Consulate and Haiti's ambassador to Jamaica also joined the procession."

"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 “to a place of no home will be very devastating.”"

"She added that many Haitian immigrants have spent decades contributing to the tax system. “To make an order to send them away is unfair.”"

A parade led by the Rara band traveled down Nostrand Avenue from Church Avenue to Flatbush Junction under cloudy skies and occasional rain, starting the seventh annual Haitian Culture Day in Brooklyn. Twenty floats moved through Little Caribbean and Little Haiti with flags, cannons, and volunteers wearing bright feathered headdresses. Marching bands, baton twirlers, and community leaders joined, including New York City Council Member Rita Joseph and other elected officials, along with Faiza Ali from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Members of the Haitian Consulate and Haiti’s ambassador to Jamaica participated. Some lawmakers arrived in costume, including state Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn as Jean-Jacques Dessalines. The theme “We Belong” connected celebration to concerns about Temporary Protected Status fluctuations, Haiti’s lack of a functioning government, and the impact of sending people back to instability.

Read at URL Media