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Diaspora

Washington, D.C. Attorney General, Haitian-American Karl Racine

Washington, D.C. Attorney General, Haitian-American Karl Racine

Here is a picture of Washington, D.C. Attorney General, Haitian-American Karl Racine.

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Haitian Pastor arrested for his role in deadly fire in New York

Haitian Pastor arrested for his role in deadly fire in New York

Here is a picture of Luckner Lorient, a Haitian Pastor who was arrested in Miami for his role in a deadly fire in New York

Brooklyn pastor, once honored by N.Y. State Senate, arrested for role in deadly 2014 fire
Luckner Lorient (78), a longtime pastor at Eglise Baptist Clarte Celeste in Flatbush once honored by the New York State Senate and commended by the state senate for his ministry, was arrested at Miami International Airport on Tuesday (July 26, 2016) for his role in a 2014 (November 19, 2014) fire that killed one man and injured 14 others. He was arrested on charges of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree reckless endangerment, criminally negligent homicide, third-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. Lorient owned a building at 1434 Flatbush Avenue, that housed his church on the ground floor and cramped apartments above which was basically a single resident occupancy apartment. Lorient, had illegally subdivided the floors into 11 multiple cramped, dangerous living spaces for 23 people, according to city records, but at that time Lorient argued his ignorance and blamed the tenants. The fire started with an overheated water cooler and the faulty electrical system, erupted into flames on the second floor. Tenants on the third floor were trapped. The fire killed resident Jeff Frederic, 24.

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Historic Dupuis building as part of the Magic City in Little haiti

Historic Dupuis building as part of the Magic City in Little haiti

Here is a picture of the Historic Dupuis building as part of the Magic City innovation district in Little Haiti

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Magic City, a tech innovation district in Little Haiti, Miami

Magic City, a tech innovation district in Little Haiti, Miami

Here is a picture of the Magic City, a tech innovation district in Little Haiti, Miami plan

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Little Haiti among most distressed neighborhoods in Miami in 2015

Little Haiti among most distressed neighborhoods in Miami in 2015

Here is the map of Miami showing Little Haiti among some of the most distressed neighborhoods in Miami in 2015.

In last May, the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners requested Florida International University's Metropolitan Center to prepare a community-based prosperity strategy for Miami-Dade County. The study must involve a comprehensive analysis of the economy to get into the root cause. As per the plan, the intended strategy would include a feasibility analysis of five pilot programs designed to build wealth in the distressed neighborhoods other than providing an immediate external robust look. The five initiatives proposed and analyzed in the report, which could possibly have the greatest impact in terms of wealth building, were, (a) Social Enterprise Incubators & Accelerators; (b) Community Land Trusts; (c) Community Benefits Agreements; (d) Children's Savings Accounts; and (e) Employee-owned Business Cooperatives. The glooming economy of the Haitians residents in Little Haiti is evident from a simple economic indicator: the average annual household income of Little Haiti residents is only $13,381 compared to the area mean income of $43,100!

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Official Map of Little Haiti in Miami

Official Map of Little Haiti in Miami

Little Haiti has been designated an official neigh neighborhood in Miami. This is based on a resolution passed by the Miami Commissioners on May 26, 2016.

Recently, on Thursday, May 26, 2016, the Municipal Commission of Miami-Dade unanimously voted in favor of designating 'Lemon City' as 'Little Haiti' and that ended a 16-year long effort over the idea of an official 'Little Haiti' and exactly, where its boundaries should be drawn. As per recent demarcation by the Miami City Commission, the new boundaries are mentioned here in the following. In the East, it is bounded by NE 4 Avenue and NE 64th Street with NE 2 Avenue and NE 82nd Street. The West side is marked by NW 71 Street and NW 62 Street. In the North, NW 79th Street, NW 6th Avenue, N Miami Avenue, NE 82nd Street and the South boundaries are marked by NW 82 Street and NW 54 Street. Had the recognition not done at the right time, Little Haiti's existence was very much threatened by gentrification. However, the official map could not make everyone happy as it acknowledges a smaller version, a compromise that recognizes the encroachment of the Design District.

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Little Haiti Cultural Center and Manager Sandy Dorsainvil

Little Haiti Cultural Center and Manager Sandy Dorsainvil

Here is a picture of Little haiti Cultural Center Manager Sandy Dorsainvil.

Sandy Dorsainvil, the manager of Miami's Little Haiti Cultural Center was abruptly fired on Monday, April 4, 2016 without any explanation. Her supporters said she was blindsided. Her removal caused an uproar among her supporters and the Little Haiti community came out in full force on Thursday, May 7th, to protest her illegal dismiss and demanded answers as to why their beloved community leader was fired. She was very popular for her phenomenal contribution since November 2012 and she was fired without any reason. As per Sandy's statement, she was at the city facility at 212 NE 59th Terrace around 2 p.m. when two city employees showed up with a termination letter signed by City Manager Daniel Alfonso. She was not given any explanation or notice for expulsion, but was given few minutes time to clear her belongings from her office and leave. In a statement, the City Manager Daniel Alfonso simply described her firing as an "ongoing review" and declined for detail discussion. Under her tenure, the center hosted art and educational programs and regular community gatherings and celebrations. Sandy was working with the Miami Foundation to establish an endowment for the center. She used to oversee the Caribbean Market Place which is a replica of the Iron Market in Port-au-Prince and side by side, she worked with the Rhythm Foundation to pull off one of the City's best block party/festivals, Big Night in Little Haiti. Her supporters packed the commission chambers on Thursday, demanding her reinstatement.

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Vision of two developers for Little Haiti

Vision of two developers for Little Haiti

Here is what two two developers have in term of vision for Little Haiti in Miamie. This is the vision of artist Miguel Prypchan and lawyer Francisco Herretes.

April, 2016 - In an effort to develop the area while maintaining the character of Little Haiti, NE 2nd Ave and 62nd Street park in Little Haiti to be transformed into a pearlescent, polychromatic iron mountain range shimmering with warm, tropical chartreuse, indigo, and fuchsia. Across Second Avenue, a $2.5 million cultural arts center with studio and exhibition space, a courtyard, and an eatery will light up an abandoned tire shop. Complex to be open in 2017

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Mia Love meeting the Haitian Community in North Miami

Mia Love meeting the Haitian Community in North Miami

Here is a picture of Mia Love as she is meeting the Haitian Community in North Miami.

Ludmya Bourdeau "Mia" Love is an American politician, the first Haitian American and the first black female Republican in Congress. This U.S Representative from Utah is the first African American to be elected to Congress from Utah. Her parents emigrated together from Haiti in 1973, two years before her birth. On Saturday, March 12, 2016, despite her busy political schedule, she took time out to meet a group of Haitian-American professionals at a breakfast reception organized by the Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida (HACCOF) at Moca Café, in North Miami. Mia came to Miami on an election campaign of Sunshine State for GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubi. The meeting was the result of Mia's 6-month old commitment to the Chamber's Chairman, Jeff Lozama. Mia made the commitment when they met for the first time in Washington, D.C. in last September. In his opening speech, Mr. Lozama made it clear that Ms. Love was present in the meeting for non-political reasons-- to hold open minded talks with her Haitian compatriots. The meeting was a success to certain degrees, because many important Haitian-Americans were absent in the meeting. One reason for their absenteeism could be that Haitian-Americans are politically more inclined to the Democratic Party.

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NY Cop Arnous Morin, issued most traffic violation in 2015

NY Cop Arnous Morin, issued most traffic violation in 2015

Haitian-American Arnous Morin, New York top Cop issued most traffic violations.

Arnous Morin (53), a Haitian and New York City's top traffic agent has eclipsed his basic pay ($36,000) by over 33 times with the fines he has generated for the city coffers! During the 2015 fiscal year, he wrote 18,953 parking tickets at an astonishing rate- one in every 9 minutes, 45 seconds, amounting to $1.2 million. The most prolific parking N.Y cop says, I'm a traffic agent in my blood." He is courteous to motorists, but 'the law is hard, but it's the law'. In fact, more than half of his citations were made when the drivers did not move their vehicles during the street cleaning hours. Morin earned a civil-engineering degree in Port-Au-Prince. He used to teach mathematics and Spanish since he was only 19 years old and then became the principal of a Catholic school in Haiti. Scared by the aftermath of violent coup ousting President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, he moved his wife and four kids to Brooklyn in 2005 and arrived there himself next year. Since he could not find a teaching job in the U.S., became a parking attendant instead. He is very hardworking, works 12 hours a day on occasion, sometimes six or seven days in a week.

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