"This is a historic day for the state of Florida," [Jeb Bush] said. "But this appointment goes beyond symbolism. It represents a coming of age of a population that has made significant contributions to the state of Florida. Dr. [M. Rony Francois] joins an incredible group of aspiring Haitian Americans who are making a difference in our state." Francois, who will make $155,000 a year in the state post, will succeed Dr. John Agwunobi as secretary of the Department of Health. Agwunobi is leaving Tallahassee to become an assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Francois will take over on Monday. A native of Port-au-Prince, Francois first came to the United States in 1979 and eventually earned a medical degree from USF in Tampa, as well as a master's degree in exercise physiology from the University of Central Florida and a doctoral degree in toxicology from USF.
Haitian konpa groups have developed a reputation as one of the liveliest facets of the West Indian celebrations. "Everybody agreed to bring costumes, which could mean that they will be all in uniformity and coordinated with the leader of the group of whichever band it is," said Jean Alexander, spokeswoman for the Carnival Association. "They are going to be visited by some of the members, to see what it is they are portraying." Haitian konpa groups have developed a reputation as one of the liveliest facets of the West Indian celebrations. "Everybody agreed to bring costumes, which could mean that they will be all in uniformity and coordinated with the leader of the group of whichever band it is," said Jean Alexander, spokeswoman for the Carnival Association. "They are going to be visited by some of the members, to see what it is they are portraying."
The recent push to add a seat to the Miami-Dade County Commission for Haitian Americans should be lauded. However, the proposal made by a coalition of Haitian Americans should to be researched and analyzed more. The proposal just may tip the balance of power away from the Black community it intends to help. In December the Haitian American Grassroots Coalition proposed the charter amendment aimed at carving out two new districts -- one for Haitian Americans and the other for hispanics. The group's proposal would increase the number of commissioners from 13 to 15.
The French called the Island St. Domingue, and began importing thousands of African slaves to clear much of the land and build plantations. By the late 1700s, there were over half a million African slaves in St. Domingue, and dose to 40,000 whites, as well as almost as many "mulattos." (The word "mulatto" derives from the Spanish term meaning a young mule.) They were the "free people of color," the result of white men taking many slave women. [Adam Hochchild] goes on to tell us how very rich France became through its plantocracy on St. Domingue alone: "The colony's eight thousand plantations accounted for more than one third of France's foreign trade, and its own foreign trade equaled that of the newly born United States." White planters and merchants on the island lived a life of luxury unrivaled in "the New World." Hochchild tells us that on that fateful August night "a large group of slaves representing many plantations met under the night sky in a remote spot called Alligator Woods..." and these are the words reportedly shouted to the throng by a revolt leader: '"Throw away the image of the god of the whites who thirsts for our tears, and listen to the voice of liberty which speaks in the hearts of all of us."
"Gonaives... my heart is being torn apart, too many mothers have lost too many children," [Wyclef] sings in Creole, while distributing WFP food rations. "We wanted to capture the raw essence of Gonaives and give people inspiration. Not like: 'Be sad for us,' but asking how can we as people really help Gonaives," he said.
Toussaint L'Ouverture: The Other Bonaparte! When the friction of social injustice and deprivation ignite that fuel, glimmers of hope begin to surface. So it happened with the baby boy who came on the world scene as Toussaint L'Ouverture. Acts such as these stirred [Toussaint]; he felt destined to remedy the societal ills. He also knew the time was not yet right, so he waited and learned. Toussaint became the most humble, obliging slave. He was held up as a model to other slaves.
Who are they? [Raoul Peck] works primarily with an ensemble made up of [Sarah]'s family and members of the infamous TonTon Macoute. It's these men operating outside civilian and military law, who imbue "The Man By The Shore" with its thick taste of dread and fear. For it quickly becomes obvious that they can threaten, maim, even kill anyone at anytime for the least of slights. Janvier (Jean Michel Martial), the chief of the Macoutes here, wields unbridled power, making him one of the most fearsome screen villians in recent times. "The Man By The shore" combines the terror of the Duvalier regime and Haiti's natural beauty in a gripping story. Audiences may leave questioning whether it's better to remember or to forget!
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.
"FANM is a grassroots organization," Bastien said. "When people come here they come here with great hope that we will be able to attend to their needs, but oftentimes because of our financial situation we are unable to." In addition to the information that will be provided at the open house, FANM will present a sampling of Haitian cuisine, Haitian art and a musical presentation by children from the Haitian community. The event is free, but FANM will accept donations to further the work of the organization.
"We provide this venue as a linkage for Haitians throughout the diaspora," President of the Haitian Heritage Museum Eveline Pierre told The Miami Times. "It's about educating the public about the phenomenal contributions Haitian Americans have made as a people, which will create a legacy for future generations." "In the building's design, we want it to reflect Haitian designs, and for that we want community imput," said [Serge Rodrigue].
Last May, President Bush signed an Executive Order allowing the Coast Guard to immediately turn back Haitian boat refugees without checking to determine if they were fleeing political persecution. Before that, thousands of Haitians had crowded into unsafe boats to try to get away from their dangerous homeland. The U.S. tagged them "economic" rather than political refugees. "The fact is our government has turned a blind eye to Haitians," said Wade Henderson, director of NAACP's Washington bureau. I have a dream that I intend to make a reality. I'm calling on African Americans and Haitians here in Miami to come together to sit down, talk and work out a plan to help Haitians. But I'm also asking that Hispanics, Jews, Anglos -- everyone -- pitch in to help.
Artist [Guy S. Fleury] began to to paint at the age of 12. After emigrating to the United States in 1970, he painted consistently until 1974. Fleury studied Haitian art and history with notable Haitian artist Wilfrid Austin, known as "Frido." He also studied the fine art and is strained in art restoration and expert framing. Each of Fleury's paintings has a unique touch and it is very difficult to recognize his paintings unless you are very familiar with the painter himself. Fleury remains true to his images of Haitian subjects but not in a typical or traditional way. Fleury paints scenery of his native town of St. Marc depicting personage, way of life - the coumbite, historical events, spiritualism, traditional values, etc.
Last Wednesday, the Haitian American Cultural Society and the Consul General of Haiti recognized non-Haitians of merit in a very special way: with honorary Haitian citizenship. Among the honorees, most notable were Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas, Miami-Dade Commissioner Barbara Carey-Shuler, and Congresswoman Carrie Meek. For Meek, the recognition has added historical significance.
"Currently the districts only dilute the voting strength of Haitian-Americans," he said. "If the county does not increase the number of seats, the chances are that within the next 10 years you will see a Haitian American and an African American fighting for the same seat," he said. "This would cause deep ethnic division. And we already have enough ethnic division." "In the past Commissioner Gwen Margolis has supported the idea in principal. And Commissioner Dorrin Rolle has questioned the timing of it," he said.
Looking at members of the audience during Mr. [Noel Alexander]'s delivery (in English), their disgust was clearly evident, as if to say..."how dare he come before this commission into our future country, Quebec and deliver a prepared speech in English." As if to underline this, a Bloc Quebecois member of parliament recently said that "...the future of Quebec should be decided only by 'Quebecois de souche...'" That was the right thing to do. (Notwithstanding the fact that some French-speaking Jewish people who support Quebec independence say that the Canadian Jewish Congress "don't speak for all Jews.)"
Although the program has a long, academic-sounding formal tide, "Sugar, Slavery and Imperialism: How Sugar Drove the Forced Migration of Africans to the Caribbean and the Impact of the Haitian Revolution," it is an informal presentation aimed at general audiences. This is a rare opportunity to learn more about Haiti's former status, as the richest, rather than the poorest, country in the hemisphere; about Haitian participation in the American Revolutionary War and aid to other independence struggles; about the brilliant diplomatic and military leadership of Toussaint L'Ouverture, Dessalines, Petion and others, who defeated the forces of Napoleon, Britain and Spain together; about how the Haitian victory caused Napoleon to sell the vast Louisiana territory to the United States, and about the great heroism of ordinary Haitians that was required for victory to be won. (The Louisiana Purchase, which will be commemorated on specially minted nickel coins in 2004, also opened the way for an expanded domestic "slave trade" within the United States, which was even larger than the former Atlantic trade).
Blacks have accused Cubans of taking advantage of their White complexions while simultaneoulsy being "minorities" when it is convenient for them. When opportunities for government contracts and grants for "minorities" are created, Cuban's apply as "minorities." When affirmative action policies are enacted for "minorities," Cuban's are also the beneficiaries. But somewhere down the line these police officers forgot they were "minorities." It took the two retired white officers, who cooperated fully with the FBI, to remind them.
On March 1st and 2nd, The Riverside Church will open its doors to metropolitan New Yorkers for a Haiti Festival - a cultural and spiritual celebration of Haiti. The "Haiti Festival" will kick off Friday, March 1st with a workship service and live performances by Haitian folk and roots musicians. The Festival will continue on Saturday as Riverside Church is transformed into a traditional Caribbean marketplace alive with the rhythms and folklore of Haiti.
It's clear that most Cubans living in South Florida were those who oppressed the working classes in Cuba, resulting in the class discrimination of white Cubans against Black Cubans. Many of the Cubans controlling South Florida today are heirs to the chicanery, corruption, organization of crime and prostitution, and money laundering practiced by the ruling class when they held power in Cuba. Before the revolution that put [Fidel Castro] in power, Cuba was one big resort, the preferred spot, for the U.S. mafia to spend their free time and take a little vacation. Let me make it clear to everyone that I'm not a communist person and I'm not a member of any communist political party whatsoever. I believe, as a citizen of the world and a conscious Black man, that I have the right to praise anyone that I choose. I have the right to say that the Blacks in power in Cuba would not want the racist Cuban dictators in South Florida to go to the island and contaminate their nonracial environment. When they were in power during the [Fulgencio Batista] regime, the situation for Black people was deplorable. And now, any Black from Cuba who sides with Castro is labeled as a "Communist" or a "traitor". South Florida needs to wake up and ring the bell of freedom in the face of dictatorship. South Florida needs to let the Cuban dictators ruling South Florida know that the practice of censorship is over. We know the problem of the Cubans in South Florida. The real problem is not truly Fidel Castro, but rather the living presence of Black people in power in Cuba and the rapidly growing Black population in Cuba. Today we are going to sing a new song; the title of this song would be "We Know Your Problem". We have recognized the problem for years and now is the time to sing that song.
Let me get something clear. I don't harbor any ill feelings toward the Cuban community. However, it is unequivocally clear that there is pattern we cannot ignore. Even though it would not be fair to condemn a whole community because of the criminal acts committed by a few of its members, the official Cuban leaders need to explain to the public why this widespread conspiracy is permitted within the ranks of the City of Miami Police department. According to various sources, the majorities of the officers indicted are Cuban or from Latin background and conspired to commit crimes against the Black community. My fellow Black American, the proletarian people who have been committed in the struggle to change the status of this racist system, let's not allow the September 11 attacks on our nation preoccupy our minds and distract us from what is going on in our own backyard. Don't let the horrifying events in New York and Washington silence our cry for justice in our community. We are waiving our U.S. flag as a symbol of justice and pride and we expect Black folks to join the crusade and help fight evil abroad. In the meantime, on our own soil, Black people in Overtown, North Miami, Liberty City, Little Haiti, are suffering frequent terrorist attacks from Cuban Police officers. As certainly as we allegedly concentrate on our dedicated fight against the evil in Afghanistan, we must also focus on getting rid of the outrageous psychological behavior displayed by our Cuban police force against the Black community patrolling our community.
We must continue to support one another for the future of our community. We need to see more African American leaders coming into the Haitian community, not just during election time but throughout the year. We need to see more solid commitment on the part of the Haitian community also to join different causes in the African American community. These are the only ways we can overcome in this struggle for equality. If we continue to treat our political interests as separate entities, we will never get to partake of the ftuits of democracy. Concerned citizens and political officials in both communities need to let people know that we don't have a Haitian/African American problem. I would hope that the Haitian community can realize that just because Mr. Duke, an African American, was defeated by Mr. [Joe Celestin], a Haitian, that Haitians are not "better" or "tougher" or "stronger" than the African American community. Likewise, the African American community needs the growing Haitian vote in the future. Haitian and African American people are one race, living through different cultural lifestyles. It's okay to have different lifestyles, as long as we respect each others' differences, without animosity or violence. For instance, the Latin community is comprised of Spanish-speaking people from different countries: Cuba, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, etc. Does anyone think that these groups are in complete harmony with one another? The answer is no. The different Spanish-speaking groups do not like one another that much but, in reality, when it comes to standing up for a common cause you see them marching side by side, taking pictures with each other and voting for each other.
President [Fidel Castro] lashed out at Mayor [Giuliani] for excluding him from the posh city parties. "The Mayor says I was a demon, and a demon couldn't be invited to dinner. So I said I'll go hungry the first day in New York" and then Castro laughed and said he wasn't upset by the Mayor's snub because his social calendar was full anyway. He said a friendly and rich family and a group of businessmen including David Rockefeller had invited him to dinner. President Castro says the U.N. don't speak of it. People applauded the independence of the African Countries, Namibia and South Africa. You would have thought the United Nations worked a miracle. There was no mention of Cuba and no mention of the many Cuban soldiers who lost their lives in the war. Yet they spoke of the end of apart-heid in a glorious manner. Castro says when people begin to write history, they forget reality. That is the historical truth, says Mr. Castro and a lot of research should be done on this because they have these nuclear weapons under their control right now. Mr. Castro says Cuba was the only outside country to shed its blood against apartheid and against racism in Africa. He says he agrees all nuclear weapons should be removed. But what is a blockade? "As we were saying today at the United Nations that blockade is like a noiseless atom bomb. It kills people and children. There is no justification for a blockade."
"[Daniel Beauxhomme] comes from the lighter skin mixed class," said Kevin Johnson, who plays Daniel. "It's the story of two different people from two different worlds falling in love. Fate brings them together and fate takes them apart. It's similar to `Romeo and Juliet.'" "In Haiti, it's very confusing. It's fuzzier than here (the United States). A lot of it has more to do with money and name than this," said Shirley Julien, who is Haitian. "And that's what the musical focuses on. Ti Moune means `little orphan' in the play. But, in Haiti it means `little person.' That drives the theme more because she doesn't have a real name. In Haiti every little kid is called ti moune." "I don't think that there is that much of a difference," said Julien, who is also the musical's choreographer. "It's just highlighted more. The division is put on us and we accept it. It's up to us to say `I don't believe this' and take time to learn about Haitians, Jamaicans and Trinidadians. Our commonalities are so much stronger and deep inside of us."
The CIA created a covert operation called JM WAVE which was based in South Miami. It's mission was to assassinate [Fidel Castro] and repatriate this area's Cubans back to their land. This undertaking had over 15,000 exiles on it's bankroll and had a budget of over $50 million dollars, which is worth over $350 million dollars in today's market.
The news media showed pictures of the immediate family and family friends. What I found amazing is that it appears that only light-skinned Cubans are trying to escape from their homeland. I saw the Cuban basketball team in the late Olympics. I have also seen pictures of Cubans in a television special one by Harry Belafonte. What I saw were dark-skinned Cubans having the time of their lives. It made me wonder, in light of what I have been told by African people living in Florida, that the light-skinned Cubans are more racist that some southerners. What is really going on in Cuba, and what is this Elian Gonzales issue about? The more I got into thinking this way, the more questions were raised. Why are most of the people trying to escape from Cuba light-skinned? Why are the majority of the athletics in the Olympics dark-skinned? The women's basketball team and the volleyballs teams were the bomb. They were some big, pretty sisters. I also thought of the Haitians. Why are Haitians sent back to Haiti and Cubans allowed to stay in America? They are both supposedly oppressed people. The Haitians are dark and the Cubans, who are trying to escape, light. Is there something more than meets the eye?
"It is a new day," [Phillip J. Brutus] told Caribbean Today. "No longer will Haitian Americans be taken for granted. We are demanding our place at the table." "We need to get Haitians involved in the process," Joseph "Billy" Louis, a spokesperson for the group, told Caribbean Today. "We need numbers in order to be taken seriously." Damian P. Gregory is a freelance writer for Caribbean Today. Caribbean Today's special focus on Haiti begins with Nick Carter's call for the nation to "re-invent" itself on page 9 and continues on page 29 with highlights of events there and in the U.S. marking Haiti's 200th Independence.
"They were walking toward me on the street, then they pulled up their locks, shook them back in, and smiled," she recalled, with a laugh. "I shook my locks at them, too. They would go, 'Yo!' And I'd say, 'Yo!' It was fun to get that type of acknowledgement. It showed how we are connected as Africans. There's nothing that can make that go away." [Russo], she added, also discussed now Cubans might benefit from a more open relationship with the U.S.A., even though it may change Cuba's moral character. While [Linda Jennings] hopes better communication is achieved through the blockade's elimination, she is worried that America's dominant influence would alter Cuba's innocence. It seems like today, in our communities, the lack of material items makes Black people feel inferior. Cubans don't, seem to have that problem, Jennings said. Black people have propelled themselves to a more material, individualistic society, which has made too many of them forget who they truly are to themselves. Having seen Cuba's society in person I don't understand why a Cuban would want to defect here."
"You must understand that we are very different in Cuba," insisted Gabriel Molina Franchossi, director of Gramma newspaper, the official organ of the communist party in Cuba. "To Afro-Cubans, big lips and big backsides are objects of beauty. To us, such images represent the feminine ideal." Afro Cubans also seem naive. Cubans are fond of saying that Fidel Castro abolished racism when he came into power 40 years ago, as though this can be accomplished by a simple decree. What they really mean, of course, is that Castro outlawed discrimination And again, who am I to say he hasn't? In the United States, discrimination didn't become illegal until the mid-60s when Congress passed a series of civil rights laws effecting voting rights, equal employment, and fair housing. By 1968, Richard Nixon was ending a wave of white backlash into power and the process of undermining those gains began. Blacks appear to have had a different experience in Cuba, where better than 40 percent of the population is either Black or mestizo (mixed) and where a fair percentage of those who are considered "white" acknowledge some degree of African or mestizo blood in their heritage. "We in Cuba are not so easily categorized as in the United States," said Reynaldo Calviac Lafferte, director of the International Press Center. He pointed to a wall in his office. "In the same family, there are some who are as white as that wall." Then he slapped his patent leathers. "And there are some who are as black as my shoes. For us, race is not an issue like it is for you."
[Teresa Heinz Kerry] shared the stage with two Haitian women, Aderadle Jules, 56, who had one family member to die in the floods and is missing seven, and Desita Fevrier, 52, who lost all eight of her family members in the Gonaives flood. Heinz Kerry first addressed the audience in French, which the predominately Creole speaking audience responded to favorably. Heinz Kerry said she did not know how the Haitian community was set up to handle disasters of the magnitude of Tropical Storm Jeanne. After acknowledging that she was not familiar with every Haitian issue, Heinz Kerry expressed concern about the United States' repatriation policy regarding Haitians. "I don't honestly know what the policy is for Haitians and Cubans when they come by boat to this country. What I don't understand is why do Haitians once they land have a different kind of treatment where they are held up for so long," Heinz Kerry pondered, as she drew applause from the audience.
"I think it's a joke," Miami-based Haitian business woman and [Jean-Bertrand Aristide] supporter Lucie Tondreau told The Times. "These same people talking about they are representing the industrial class are the ones that are paying people 68 U.S. cents a day for 17 hours of work. These are the same people who have just fired over 300 poor people without indemnity. These are the same people who over the years in Haiti have refused to pay taxes, electricity, who have not invested in the infrastructure, in the schools of Haiti, and today they are coming here talking about democracy?," Tondreau wondered. "He" (Aristide) "was at the basis of reinforcement of polarization," said [Apaid]. "He was prone to keep our country divided. He knew our mentality and rather than try to correct it he was accentuating it while making deals behind the palace door with the very people he was attacking. So there was a hypocrisy in it and it's just traditional political behavior. We want to go beyond that." While Apaid described the current situation in Haiti as slow with a lot of problems but moving in the right direction, Tondreau described Haiti as a place where people have no right to demonstrate without being killed. "We need the duly elected president back in Haiti," said Tondreau.
These articles mostly concerned [Castro]'s cracking down on terrorism and crime committed against tourists in Cuba. In reaction to incidents of hotel bombings, and in one case, the murder of an Italian tourist, Castro's government had passed a series of strict new laws to deter crimes that would further injure the country's leading source of foreign currency - tourism. One evening in Santago de Cuba, I was discussing the race issue with a few Cuban friends, among whom was a loyal Castro supporter who had fought for four years in Angola with the Cuban army. He argued that what was happening in his country wasn't so much a problem of racism as it was an honest attempt on Castro's part to protect the country's main source of revenue, tourism, upon which the U.S. embargo had made Cuba dependent. Although the once-again blatant debasing of my friend's civil rights incensed me, I did understand his point. Most of the tourists now coming to Cuba are from predominately white European countries, or they are upper-class whites from Latin America. Most of the tourists now coming to Cuba are from predominately white European countries, or they are upper-class whites from Latin America. Most of these white tourists come to Cuba with racism ingrained in them from their own cultures. In fact, it is unofficially acknowledged that a large percentage of the foreign currency in Cuba comes from sex tourism, which generally comprises white men drawn to Cuba by the lure of "exotic" mulatto women.
Haiti is a third world country with a population of over seven million and another few million scattered over the world. It represents per capita the poorest Western Hemisphere country but in reality it has been downtrodden by political instability and the insolvency of the Dictatorship stereotype. This dictatorship mentality has taken root with Duvalier regime (Papa Doc and Baby Doc) which for many years had an iron grip over this French-Creole island and resulted in the destruction of a truly unique island. Each leader since, Jean Claude Duvalier has monopolized and downtrodden the Haitian community for his own selfish reasons. The dictatorship tactics of Duvalier was emulated by each leader who succeeded him and the military in this place took the place of 'Baby Doc's' dreaded "Ton Ton Man Coute" death squads.
Tanya Quintero, a light-skinned mulatta and prominent independent journalist in Havana, said she was not aware of racial discrimination until she had a daughter with darker skin the than she. Suddenly, some of her friends referred to her child with a Spanish phrase that literally translates as "sour or dark stomach" but figuratively is slang for "a child who comes out darker than her mother," she said. Lighter-skinned children later made fun of her daughter for being a "marron," brown. Also the millions of dollars in "remittances" that Cubans in the United States and elsewhere send their relatives back on the island very year reach few "black" Cubans because more than 90 percent of the exiles are "white." As a result, the long-standing economic gap between darker and lighter Cubans widens. I use quotation marks around "black" and "white" because the terms don't mean the same as they do in the United States, with our traditional "one-drop rule." Race in Cuba, as in the rest of Latin America, is somewhat fluid: You are pretty much what you say you are, even within the same family.
3) Spanish and other European immigrants that were encouraged to settle in Cuba as per attempts to "bleach" the island. This was the first time anything like this was seriously proposed since Haiti earned its independence. This is important to note because the "spectre" of Haiti loomed ominously over Spanish and Cuban whites for a century and most of their policies towards Cuba's Blacks were reflective of it. The following year, the Cuban Ward Connerly of his day, Martin Morúa Delgado was elected Speaker in Cuba's Senate. The year after that, Morúa introduced legislation that became known as the Morúa Amendment and it outlaws the PIC because is was based on race and racism was supposedly eradicated in Cuba. Just before the vote was taken to enact this bill into law, Estonez and other PIC leaders were imprisoned and were kept in jail until after the law was passed.
The celebration officially started with a combination press conference and job fair at FIU's Biscayne Campus. Co-sponsored by Miami-Dade County and the South Florida Workforce, the FIU event featured a luncheon hosted by Emiline Alexis of the County Mayor's office. The job fair was held in honor of Haitian Labor Day and was held in the lobby and patio of FIU's Wolfe Center. Sunday was an especially busy day with a book reading at the Mapou Bookstore in Little Haiti, a complimentary buffet featuring foods (and music) from all nine of Haiti's Departments (provinces), and an infectious and intoxicating display of Haitian drumming and vocal performances called "Zaka" in the Design Destrict.
Collectively, these works, done in a burned-looking technique called 'soleil brulé', spell out Haiti. While visiting his daughters, who live in Inverrary, TIGA proudly displayed stacks of the paintings - each different and haunting, each either spiritual or personal portrayals of Haitian vodou gods and goddesses or his beloved relatives. Haiti through the lens of a camera is portrayed in "Haiti: Land of Contrasts," from May 7 to 29, at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale. It features the images of Roberto Stephenson, author of Les Interiors d'Haiti, and Daniel Kedar, whose books include Reflections, Haiti from Above, and Portrait of a Country. The final event of the month takes place at 7 p.m. on May 22 at the Broward County Main Library, when Dr. Alex Stepick will speak on "Perception of the Haitian Profile." He'll be followed by another lecturer, Terry Rey of Florida International University, who'll discuss "Religion and Politics in Haitian History."
Except for inroads made in the first 10 - 15 years after the revolution, what is black has been heavily stereotyped; and nowadays there are no black actors to speak of on Cuban television, which is easy to see by tuning in. [Alden Knight] is best - known for his performance poetry - especially that of Cuba's mulatto National Poet, the late Nicols Guill'en our kind of Langston Hughes, the two of them having been contemporaries and friends. He regrets that it makes little sense in 1995 to perform Guill'en's classic 1964 poem of social redemption for the black Cuban: "Tengo [I have] is the sum total of what was achieved in this country for blacks, for the poor... and now it's been lost. I have said that when that poem can be read again in all honesty. We shall have regained what we had won by the end of the 1960s. When we were poor but equal. She and her sisters - three doctors and a philologist who specializes on Africa - were known since they were little as the daughters of Lilliam and Unan Emilio. The four were born and raised in Santiago de Cuba, the island's second and most Caribbean city, renowned for its history of rebellion, heroism and hospitality, as well as its more predominantly black population.
Its Chairman, [Henry Crespo], suggested that the recall "is about the Camillus House," and its recommended relocation initially adjacent to Overtown and most recently in the area of newly elected Commissioner Angel Gonzalez's district. [Arthur E. Teele, Jr.], who supports this latter move as well as quality housing for the homeless, explained that the new Camillus House will be a state-of-the-art, well-designed secluded homeless facility, nothing like the current loiter-type housing. Gonzalez is on record as being against the new site on Cuban radio and from the dais. Reportedly, Gonzalez has been very vocal with Camillus House proponents against Teele. As its platform, the recall committee has circulated flyers listing contracts awarded by the City of Miami Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), which Teele chairs, as justification for Commissioner Teele's alleged "neglect of duty." Teele responded in the PULSE meeting that he cannot accept responsibility for the actions of all five City of Miami commissioners who sit on the CRA Board. He individually named each business, explained their service to the CRA and their contribution to the overall redevelopment of the Southeast-Overtown Park West/Omni area.
According to MercoPress, an independent online news agency, Afro-Brazilians represent the largest ethnic group in Brazil, making up more than 49 percent of the population.
Another report pointed out that prisoners were upset because guards had ignored their allegations that another inmate had tried to sexually assault several prisoners. A strong contingent of police officers from the GUARD and Emergency Branch (GEB) stormed the cell block section of the San Fernando Magistrates' Court to quash a threatened uprising by about 100 prisoners on April 1. One of the country's daily newspapers reported that the prisoners were protesting cramp and overcrowded conditions at the cellblock of the courthouse in southern Trinidad. And they threatened to beat and the handful of police officers assigned to secure them.
Head of Arsenal in the community Alan Sefton said: "We are looking forward to our second visit to Guadeloupe in the summer, when Arsenal community coaches will deliver coaching sessions to the island's young coaches and young footballers."
CIN TV, the only Caribbean TV network in the US, in association with Harlem Week 2004, is proud to announce the launching of the annual CIN Caribbean Lecture Series. The event takes place this year on Sunday, September 19 at the Schomburg Center, 515 Malcolm X Blvd., New York starting at 3 p.m. sharp. Hill's lecture will focus attention on the strategic role that Harlem and New York played in the making of the modern Caribbean, culturally, politically, and economically and the importance that Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) occupies in the history of this relationship. Garvey and the UNIA are a window through which to view the whole New York-Caribbean axis. Hill will also explore some intriguing aspects of this story that have been overlooked in asking - Why Garvey? Why Harlem? Why New York?
On August 11th, the Mayor will march in New York City's largest Dominican parade in Manhattan, which will celebrate the anniversary of The Restoration of the Dominican Constitution on August 16, 1863, when a group of patriots led by Santiago Rodriguez crossed the Dominican border from Haiti and raised the Dominican flag. The other two Dominican parades were held in the Bronx and in Brooklyn earlier in July. The reception included music by "king" of the merengue sound Oro Solido, children performing traditional folk dancing, and was attended by elected officials and representatives of the Dominican community.
AFRICANDO Arts and Culture Festival, a collaboration between the Foundation for Democracy in Africa and Miami-Dade County, is a one-day event that will feature contemporary African, Afro-American, Caribbean & Afro-Latino cultures. MDCC and the Black Heritage Museum will display masks, statues and murals from the Caribbean, South America, Brazil and Cuba. A special "Children's Activities Village" will feature traditional African and Caribbean folk tales, puppet shows, African mask and instrument making, African textile weaving, Miami Metrozoo's exotic animal show and more. The festival, which is the closing event for AFRICANDO 2001, will be promoted in Africa, AFRICANDO organizers say. A trade delegation from Miami and Washington, D.C., will conduct trade seminars promoting the conference and festival in Nigeria, Mali, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania.
The daytime workshops will be complemented by evening community programs held at the Historic Lyric Theatre, 819 NW Second Avenue in Overtown. On Monday, June 18 at 5:30 p.m. a special "Maroon Double Feature" film showing will celebrate the Pan African spirit of resistance with a presentation of "Maluala" by Cuban filmmaker Sergio Giral and "Quilombo" by Brazilian filmmaker Carlos Diegues. Both have become modern classics. Based on historical fact, these powerful dramas depict the struggle of those who dared to escape from slavery and establish independent, fiercely defended Maroon communities. Time will be allowed for discussion after the films. June 19 is officially celebrated in several states as "Juneteenth," commemorating that date in 1865 when the last of the enslaved African American population in East texas received word of the Emancipation Proclamation at the end of the Civil War. Because "No one was really free until everyone was free," this date, shortened by custom over the years to "Juneteenth." was considered the true end of the institution of slavery in the United States.
"Our goal is to make sure that we have the most accurate and updated listing of Black media in the industry. We pride ourselves on that fact," said Nakia Bowling, Media Specialist for Black PRWire. "We work consistently to build and sustain relationships in the Black community. Our massive database and community tide is the lifeline of our company. We understand that we can never falter on either of these factors and that is what makes us unique."
The carnival image of racial harmony When Brazil became a democracy in 1988, the new constitution specified that they should be given land. But in practice, only a handful have. The local priest in Camburi, Father [Alexander Coelho], urges villagers to unite to demand land. He says that Brazil has a race problem which it is only starting to face up to. "Three hundred years of slavery, 300 hundred years of submission - it's hard to teach people to change that mindset," he says. "In Brazil, there was no discussion about race ... there was a pseudo-equality. When we started to talk about it, we were accused of bringing racism to Brazil," he argues.
We have never been able to hold a proper debate about Black genetics because the subject was hijacked by mad White nationalists to promote their ideas of how `inferior' Black people are - `great bodies but small minds'. On the other hand, it is also used by Black nationalists to argue the case for supposed Black genetic superiority.
Today, Grace, Kennedy & Company is aggressively moving forward to meet new goals with a range of policies and programs designed to ensure its pr-eminent position in both the Caribbean and the world. These efforts include an ambitious brand "re-launch" complete with new logo, vibrant new label designs, and a new advertising campaign driven by a positioning statement reinforcing the company's pre-eminence: "Grace Foods, Genuine Caribbean Taste. Enjoyed Worldwide." While its first priority will always be towards serving the nutritional needs of its Caribbean home and "family," Grace, Kennedy & Company has now embarked on an aggressive new push into another world market, with plans to expand its sales to West Indian "expatriates" living abroad, as well as to the burgeoning number of people everywhere who desire the genuine taste of the Caribbean. Thus, the re-launch of the Grace brand, as a true "world brand" began in May of this year with this new positioning line as its corner stone. The advertising campaign, crated in conjunction with Michigan based consultants Stone & Simons Advertising, includes an overall theme, "The New Face of Grace," designed to address the brand's new logo and labeling, as well as the new "faces" around the world who are choosing Grace Foods for their "Genuine Caribbean Taste."
