The head of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Alejandro Mayorkas, says his agency can't eliminate its fees, but it has the power to waive them for people who can prove they are poor. He has promised that his employees will treat applicants with a "generosity of spirit." This would be a refreshing change for an agency notorious for bureaucrats expert in finding a way to say no.
While helping applicants take their place on the line, Richard Champagne, current President of the Haitian Lawyers Association (HLA)stated, "This is an opportunity for the HLA and participating attorneys to give back to our community. Haitian immigrants have been suffering for a long time, and after the Obama administration granted TPS, it was our duty to assist. It has been a great opportunity to partner with the city of North Miami, given the concentration of Haitian nationals in the city.
A Hartford Courant photographer, he opens the door to Haiti's dark, brutal secrets with explicit photographs taken in his native country. [Marc Yves Regis] was a freelance photographer with the Miami Times and an intern with the Miami Herald before joining the Courant. The book outlines Haiti's democratic reforms, beginning with the 1990 appointment of the country's first woman president. A year later, Ertha Pascal-Trouillot handed power to Jean-Betrand Aristide, who captured the presidency with an overwhelming 67 percent of the vote in the country's first true democratic election.
He and his brother, Reagan Ulysse, 25, had been detained together until March 11, when Reagan was abruptly transferred to a distant immigration jail, leaving [Jackson Ulysse] not knowing where he was. But by Thursday evening a family friend had picked up Jackson and was driving him to pick up Reagan from the lobby of the Krome Detention Center in Miami. "That's what I want - to see my brother, to see that they let him go, I want to hug him," Jackson said in French in a telephone interview. "I'm very happy, and I'm going to church to thank God." The brothers' uncle, Virgile Ulysse, 69, a United States citizen who will take them in to his home in Norwalk, Conn., was also full of gratitude. "Thank the United States for Jackson and Reagan's release," he said in a telephone message.
BET's "SOS Saving Ourselves-Help for Haiti" benefit and concert telethon debuted live from the American Airlines Arena on Friday night. The event was hosted by Queen Latifiah, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Pharrell.
Toussaint Louverture was the leader of the Haitian Revolution. His military genius and political acumen led to the establishment of the independent Black state of Haiti. The success of the Haitian Revolution shook the institution of slavery throughout the New World. Toussaint Louverture began his military career as a leader of the 1791 slave rebellion in the French colony of Saint Domingue. He served from 1791-1803 and died in a French jail in 1803.
"The launch event in March was really successful. Everything came together for a totally perfect night," Laura Quinla, Rhythm Foundation Director said. "What was especially cool was that it was a lot of different kinds of people of all backgrounds and ages having a great time together." "It is important to focus on the wealth of culture that Haiti has great music, art, dance. The culture is so rich. Little Haiti also has a lot of nice experiences to offer the general public," Quinla said. "We are hoping our night grows and encompasses all the artist studios, cultural venues, shops and restaurants in the area. I think it will be something people throughout South Florida will look forward to every month."
[Jean Louis]' photography's diverse portrayal of Haiti is why [Eveline Pierre] chose to showcase his work during the week of the internationally renowned art exhibit, Art Basel. "We just felt it was really important to capitalize on this time," explained Pierre, "to...give the community an understanding of who the Haitian community is through this artist."
In this context, the achievements of yesterday and of today are intimately linked. Sojourner Truth thundered against slavery so that Frederick Douglass could agitate. Douglass agitated so that Thurgood Marshall could argue the law. Marshall argued so that Rosa Parks could sit. Parks sat so that Martin Luther King Jr. could stand. King stood so that young people could march. Young people marched so that Shirley Chisholm could dare to aim for Congress. Rep. Chisholm dared so that Jesse Jackson could run. Jackson ran so Barack Obama could win. And Obama won because a majority of voting Americans - red, yellow, brown, black and white - were ready to finally say: Yes, we can!
Needless to say, it would take more than this short column to list all her accomplishments and all the legislative activities she had been involved in. Suffice it to say, however, she fought very hard, not only for her constituencies, but also for what was right. And this is the point that requires a reflective pause for the Haitian community. The Haitian community, along with some non-Haitian observers, has always felt that it has been discriminated against by U.S. immigration policies. Back in the 1980's and the early 1990's, there were many Haitian activists who took to the streets and to the airwaves to decry these discriminatory policies. However, none of the Haitian activists were elected officials. Certainly, the efforts of these activists were very important and sometimes fruitful in the context of exposing the inequality of these policies to the larger American public.
