I know that the Haitian-American clergy has a history of keeping its distance from social and political activism and I respect that. But these are not normal times and we need to cast aside some precedence to deal with this clear and present danger that Trump represents. Again, I do not write this lightly. We need to act and act fast. This is a call for all good people to step up and defend our rights that are under severe attack.

Our religious leaders cannot sit idly by. If they do, history will not be kind to them.

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.