In light of the inhuman treatment of Haitian nationals in Del Rio, Texas, the Haitian American Leadership Initiative cannot remain silent. The terrifying images of our brothers and sisters being chased and whipped by border patrol police on horseback is a painful reminder of over 400 years of slavery. No one could have expected such a scene to occur in the heart of twenty-first century America. No one could have imagined such an atrocity to happen under a Biden administration. We are all appalled by the treatment of those human beings who, like all of us, are pursuing the American promise. Such affront to the dignity of those Haitians occurred because of the implementation of the racist and unjust Trump’s Title 42. That is why we demand an immediate moratorium of this article while allowing these immigrants their due process under the law.
The solidarity that we are seeking is the same we’ve shown to the United States during their war of independence. We have stood alongside American soldiers in the fight for freedom and liberty in Savannah. The Louisiana purchase, which doubled the size of the US territory, was made possible because of France’s unprecedented defeat in Haiti. Today we hope to be shown a bit of gratitude and kindness from our friends and allies.
In the meantime, we are calling on every Haitians in the diaspora to organize as one community with a common purpose. This frightful event should constitute a wakeup call for all of us, lovers of freedom and justice. We must be reminded that since that horrific July 28, 1915, when the former US President Woodrow Wilson ordered the invasion of Haiti, the country has been under the direct political and economic influence of the United States. The American policy toward Haiti has been consistent to their overall view of the country since it overthrew the French colonial system of slavery in 1804.
With the support and under the influence of the American government, dictators and corrupted politicians thrived in this Caribbean state. Such a policy has, in part, resulted in the current desperate situation in the country. Today we join our voice to that of our friends in the US congress and many other influential partners and friends of Haiti to ask for a drastic change in the American policy for this country. The first Black republic in the world deserves better than this.
Furthermore, we need to remind President Biden of his promise to the Haitian people during his campaign. Therefore, we ask the Biden administration to immediately stop the massive expulsion of the Haitian immigrants. Such unprecedented actions are in direct violation of their human rights as well as international conventions.
We will continue to mobilize our resources and organize ourselves to defend the rights not only of every Haitian, but also of any other marginalized people around the world.
Published: October 7, 2021 Written by Georges Bossous, Jr., M.S., PhD
President/CEO Haitian American Leadership Initiative, Inc.
Founder/ CEO, Word and Action, Inc.
Website: www.halinet.org
Website: www.wordandaction.org
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