By Garry Pierre-Pierre In the song “Glory Days,” Bruce Springsteen tells the story of a high-school baseball star whose potential never rose beyond his aspirations and years later, can’t stop talking about his high school days. That sad jingle is an apt metaphor for the Haitian community here in NYC. We appear to be…
There is a long tradition of Diaspora Haitians who throw themselves in the mix to help their country or community. There are plenty of examples where members of the Diaspora, motivated by altruism and a desire to make a difference, bring themselves down from their “celebrity” status to help the country, only to be demonized after being deified.
Armed security guards accompanying a tourist tour on an excursion last year through Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city . by Garry Pierre-Pierre Since the weeks following the World Trade Center disaster on that balmy day in September of 2001, the America we used to live in has ceased to exist. It would have been a dereliction…
Haiti has got to be the unluckiest country in the world, having been led by a coterie of miscreants and misguided leaders who always put self above country. They have failed, over and over, to provide steady and realistic leadership in order to get the country in the ranks of states that prioritize the rule…
In today’s ‘Warped Lens‘, Garry Pierre-Pierre holds a mirror to Haitian-American leadership and questions their insufficient commitment to address racial inequalities and injustices facing Haitians back home and abroad. SUPPORT TO READ MORE Sign in to your account.
The other day, a friend observed that when there was a lack in Haitian-American political elected officials in government, we the people garnered more resources from politicians. Perhaps the thinking goes a little bit like this: “Now that we have our own in office, they should know what our needs are and take care of them.”
By Garry Pierre-Pierre Shortly after President Donald Trump made his derogatory remarks about Haitians, incensed community leaders quickly held a rally to address the slurs and began mobilizing people to deal with not only the hurtful words, but destabilizing deeds toward Haitians. SUPPORT COMMUNITY NEWS TO READ MORE Sign in to your account.
Farah Larrieux By Garry Pierre-Pierre I met Farah Larrieux in 2000 when I was working with Djakout Mizik to participate at the West Indian Carnival Day Parade in Brooklyn. Farah was part of the band’s public relations staff. We’ve maintained a close friendship over the years. After the 2010 earthquake destroyed her home in Port-au-Prince…
If we make an honest and sober analysis of the Haitian community in the New York metropolitan area, for example, the picture is bleak. While the number of Haitians in the area has increased, the number of Haitian-owned businesses has plummeted. Social service organizations struggle to find support and their work, though much needed, cannot…
In my years of covering and chronicling the Haitian community in New York and South Florida, in a month or so and after the furor dies down, our outrage fizzles and we go back to our daily routine until the next crisis hits Haiti. This cycle must be broken. Support community journalism to read more….