Brooklyn’s Haitian Culture Day sends a clear message: ‘We belong’

Under cloudy skies and occasional rain, a Rara band led the parade down Nostrand Avenue from Church Avenue to Flatbush Junction Saturday morning, kicking off the seventh annual Haitian Culture Day in Brooklyn.

Twenty floats processed through the Little Caribbean and Little Haiti neighborhoods bearing flags, cannons and volunteers in bright feathered headdresses. Marching bands and baton twirlers strode alongside community leaders, including New York City Council Member Rita Joseph, who represents Brooklyn’s 40th District and chaired the event. Other elected officials marching included Mercedes Narcisse of the 46th District, Farah Louis of the 45th District and Rep. Yvette Clarke of the 9th Congressional District, as well as Faiza Ali, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Members of the Haitian Consulate and Haiti’s ambassador to Jamaica also joined the procession.

Some lawmakers arrived in costume. Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, state Assembly member for the 42nd District, which includes Brooklyn’s Little Haiti, dressed as Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Haiti’s first emperor, who led the Haitian Revolution and established the country’s independence from France in 1804.

For Hermelyn, this year’s theme, “We Belong,” carried weight beyond celebration and spoke directly to the current political climate. Over the past year, Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) has fluctuated, creating uncertainty for residents who fled ongoing violence. New York City has the second-largest Haitian population in the United States, according to the World Population Review. Meanwhile, Haiti remains without a functioning government, she said, and sending people back “to a place of no home will be very devastating.” She added that many Haitian immigrants have spent decades contributing to the tax system. “To make an order to send them away is unfair.”

Organized by the Brooklyn nonprofit Life of Hope, the event drew participants from across the city. Wendia Morse, 30, arrived at 7 a.m. from Queens to volunteer on the floats, dressed in a colorful gauze gown. She moved to New York five years ago while fleeing political turmoil in Port-au-Prince and has since earned a degree in airport management. She still wants to return one day. “Home is always calling my name,” she said.

After the parade, revelers gathered at Hillel Place Plaza for afternoon performances, umbrellas in hand. Alongside the stage, booths offered healthcare information and vendors sold food, flags and Haitian-themed merchandise under tents.

Brothers Reginald and Hervé Guiteau, now in their 70s, have been part of the Brooklyn Haitian community since their parents brought them from Port-au-Prince nearly 60 years ago. Both volunteered for the event. Reginald helped recruit sponsors and volunteers over the past six months; Hervé handled security and organization for the parade. “It’s getting bigger and bigger every year,” Reginald said. “It’s a good way to get people together.”

Kamla Millwood, 51, owner of Palatial Publishing LLC and originally from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, marched in the parade and danced on stage. She came out in support of the Haitian community. “Whether it’s rain, snow, sleet or shine, I’m making sure that I do my part to make my community a much better place,” she said. “I love that strength that the Haitian people have.”

Ben Jean, a school bus driver who has lived in Brooklyn for nearly 30 years, called the day “peaceful.” For him, the event was about connecting with his roots. “It’s about culture. It’s about your music. It’s about your background,” he said. But it also brought up harder feelings about the situation in Haiti. “It’s a bad time for us,” Jean said. “We can’t even go back home with the situation right now.” He said he worries most about younger generations. “The children need a better world, a better Haiti.”

Porez Luxama, executive director of Life of Hope, said the event has drawn more than 10,000 people in past years. This year, the number of floats grew from seven to 20, including one featuring Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and one featuring Council member Rita Joseph, and Luxama estimated about 2,000 participants turned out despite the weather.

His message to New York City was simple: “We’re here. We belong here. We’re not going anywhere.”

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