Hundreds of Haitian Americans gathered in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood in August 2019 to express solidarity with those suffering through the ongoing political and economic crisis back home. The rally, organized by a coalition of diaspora community groups, included speeches from community leaders, prayers from local pastors, and fundraising for humanitarian aid.
Miami’s Haitian community, one of the largest outside Haiti itself, had been watching developments with a mixture of anguish and frustration. Many attendees had family members directly affected by the lockdowns, food shortages, and street violence that had become daily realities in Port-au-Prince and other cities.
Community leaders used the rally to call on U.S. elected officials to maintain pressure on the Haitian government to address corruption and respect democratic principles. Several speakers also called for the protection of TPS, emphasizing that forced returns to Haiti would be unconscionable given the current conditions.
Local Haitian-owned businesses in Little Haiti reported that the crisis had spurred giving, with customers making spontaneous donations to Haiti relief funds at the register. The community’s response was a testament to the deep bonds that Haitian Americans maintained with their homeland despite building new lives in South Florida.