new york

Little Haiti of New York, spanning a large portions of Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues, from Parkside Avenue to Avenue H in New York City has been officially designated. This section of Brooklyn where generations after generations of Haitians have landed has been finally designated. We can all say that there is now a Little Haiti In Flatbush and another one in Miami, Florida.

June, 2018: Haitian-Americans gathered in Flatbush street corner to celebrate the creation of "Little Haiti Business and Cultural District.". The area was previously designated "Little Caribbean"

As per news dated June 5, 2018, after years of meetings and planning, the New York City Council announced a ceremonial resolution to name a certain section of Flatbush "Little Haiti." Rodneyse Bichotte, State Senator Kevin Parker, and Councilmember Jumaane Williams, along with local organizations and community members are among the spearheads to designate a part of Flatbush as the Little Haiti Cultural & Business District.

However, according to Rodneyse Bichotte, who is the first Haitian-American to be elected to the State Legislature from New York City, although the Haitian community supports the designation of both 'Little Haiti' and 'Little Caribbean,' "the decision to name Flatbush Avenue 'Little Caribbean' was done without enough community support or involvement."

The proposal generated support mostly from Haitian communities like the Haitian American Caucus, Haitian American Business Network Chamber of Commerce and Haiti Cultural Exchange. Even the move of Bichotte and a host of other elected officials and activists to name "Little Haiti" has been met with criticism and termed as "misguided" and one of "division."

In an email to Bichotte, a host of some elected officials, including Council Member Mathieu Eugene and Rep. Yvette D. Clark, Ernest Skinner, a local community organizer and activist, have asked, "When did Haiti stop being part of the Caribbean? Sowing division may be why Haiti has never been able to reach its full potential."
The designation for "Little Caribbean" was initiated by Flatbush native Shelley Worrell, founder of CaribBEING, a local non-profit cultural institution founded in 1999. CaribBEING celebrates Caribbean heritage in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood of Flatbush, Brooklyn. She is a longtime supporter of the Little Caribbean and she is trying to preserve and celebrate Caribbean food, culture and small businesses in this area. Shelly bought a shipping container and turned it into a pop-up art space. She transformed every inch of her container with the feel of a breezy, beachside Caribbean aura.

In a statement Bichotte has said that Haiti has had a unique position within the Caribbean -- it is geographically in the Caribbean, but not of the Caribbean. History has created its distinct identity which is why Haitians have had to build separate communities and organizations in order to survive.

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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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Here is the copy of a check issued to Stanley Lucas by the Haitian Embassy in New York for his ongoing propaganda work for the government of Michel Martelly. This check that was discovered by Radio host and news investigator Valery Numa was issued to Stanley Lucas on December 30, 2015 by the Haitian Embassy in New York City.

According to Valery Numa, initially Stanley Lucas was receiving his regular salary for doing his propaganda work for the Martelly government directly from the Haitian embassy in Washington. this was later changed to have the checks coming instead from the Haitian embassy in New York City.

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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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Here is a picture of Pierry, a Haitian immigrants from Queens in Republican Ad.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) has decided to run a series of advertisement campaign to showcase how diversified group of Republicans actively support and belong to their party. They have released a series of five advertisements on air (at a cost of $300,000) during the Fox Business Republican Debate in South Carolina on Thursday, January 14, 2016. The ads feature Mario, a Latino, first-generation college graduate from Pueblo; Katherine, mother of an autistic child from Tampa, Florida; Vallerie, a community leader from Sarasota, Florida; Mike, a small business owner and 9/11 firefighter from the Bronx, New York; and Pierry, the son of Haitian immigrants from Queens. This is an effort of RNC to win back the White House after realizing how poorly they fared in the 2012 election with 6% of the African-American vote and 27% of the Hispanic vote. Recent comments by their candidate Donald Trump about immigrants has made the situation worse.

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Here is a picture of Dweynie Esther Paul, elected as New York State civil court judge.

Attorney Dweynie Paul, a resident of Bedford Stuyvesant Community in Brooklyn was born in Queens, New York to Haitian parents. With her passion for justice since her childhood days, she pursued a career in law and public service at Middlesex University in London within its British Legal System Program and interned with the Labor Political Party; she had another internship with the Honorable Daniel Lewis of the Criminal Supreme Court in Queens County, obtained a Master's Degree in Public Policy under the Stony Brook's Graduate Program and received a Juris Doctorate Degree from George Washington University Law School in Washington D.C. On November 4, this daughter of Haitian immigrants made history by becoming the first Haitian American to be elected as a New York State civil court judge. She won the election unopposed and became the judge of the civil court of "Kings" (Brooklyn).

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New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman launches inquiry into 'no Haitian' nurses ad.

As per the Daily News dated October 19, 2015, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a member of the Democratic Party, has launched an inquiry into the nature of an advertisement published by Interim Healthcare Inc. of Nanuet on the October 15, 2015, issue of 'New City Pennysaver'. The Interim Healthcare Inc., had published a help-wanted advertisement on the above mentioned issue for a nurse that goes like: "Laid back nurse, no haitians, must have strong respiratory mngt,... The Attorney General believes, the advertisement has violated federal and state civil rights laws, because the law clearly prohibits discrimination in hiring on the basis of national origin. If the Attorney General is satisfied with the gravity of charges, would frame the said home care, hospice and medical staffing company in charges of discriminatory practices.

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Here is a picture where Haitian President Michel Martelly was meeting with the Haitian Community in Spring Valley

On Wednesday, September 30th, 2015, while attending the 70th General Assembly of the United Nation in New York, President Martelly accompanying his wife Sophia Martelly met the Haitian community of Spring Valley. The President was welcomed at the City Hall of St. Joseph Church by the Mayor Demeza Delhomme. Mayor Delhomme, during his speech did not fail to mention that this has been the first visit ever by a Haitian President to this community. The President was visibly moved by the honor bestowed upon him by his compatriots of Spring Valley. The key of the city was delivered to him by the city Mayor. During his speech, Martelly had explained about his responsibility and commitment as the Head of the State, especially a few months before the end of his presidential term. He described himself as a part of the diaspora and continued to mention the expectation and responsibility of diaspora community, to and from the country. He expressed his hope that the new elected authority will work to improve and achieve progress.

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Here is a picture of Brooklyn Democrat Samuel Pierre who has made the decision to remove his candidacy for the November's special election,

Samuel Pierre, onetime Brooklyn Borough Director in the Community Affairs Unit, Office of the Mayor of New York City and more recently, a candidate in the November election for ex-state Sen. John Sampson Senate seat, has decided to withdraw himself from the upcoming election. Pierre was accused by the Kings County Democratic Party of a 2013 misdemeanor conviction for which he had pleaded guilty for accepting bribe over $50. In 2008, Pierre received two designer t-shirts and free dinners from a family friend, Kenol Janvier for helping him with his green card issues. Pierre, now 30, says that although he was too young then (22), but he never asked anything in exchange of his service. Had it been now, in 2015, his approach would be totally different.

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Just having some fund during the the 4th of July holiday could be very expensive. If you don't believe me, go ask Haitian-American New York Giants football star, Jason Pierre-Paul. He received the news that the New York Giants are withdrawing their $60 million long-term contract following a fireworks incident over the weekend when he suffered a hand injury while attempting to light fireworks.

Jason Andrew Pierre-Paul is one of the star footballers of New York Giants who has been playing for the team since 2010. Nicknamed JPP, he adeptly plays for the team at the defensive end line. Recently, the player injured his hand while celebrating Fourth of July by lighting crackers which accidently burst. His hand, although fortunately, has not undergone any serious permanent damage he has experienced severe burns on his palm and fingers. According to medical reports, the injury would take sufficient time to heal and as a consequence, the New York Giants might have to pull down a $60 million contract signed with the player. During his recovery span, the footballer will be missing numerous trainings and he might not be able to take part in the first leg of the 2015 season.

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