Haitian organizers cut the ribbon, opening a new office in North Miami Beach on Friday dedicated to electing Vice President Kamala Harris to the highest office in the land. Ayisyen Pou Harris, formerly Ayisyen Pou Biden, rallied a small group of Haitian community members and politicians that are determined to elect the first U.S. president of Caribbean and immigrant heritage.
Linda Joseph, a founder of the grassroots organization, centered her Aug. 3 remarks on the youth. She said that, like Biden, “You have to know when to lay your weapons down and let the young generation take over. We’ve got some brilliant young people who can take the fight on.”
A young woman, Christel Louidor, didn’t expect to do the honors after driving an hour from Coral Springs.
The 19-year-old founder of nonprofit Gen Z Pou Ayiti will vote for the first time in November, along with 17-year-old Angelina Fleurime, who held the scissors with her. “When you’re in a room with people who all have the same goal and have the same mindset, a lot of things can get done,” Fleurime said.
When President Biden ended his campaign and endorsed Harris, Caribbean groups immediately started raising money. The night of Ayisyen Pou Harris’ opening, Rally for Kamala held a Caribbean-American national fundraising call with celebrities helping bump the national fundraising total to $310 million.
According to the Harris campaign, more than 15,000 Floridians have signed up to volunteer and some may work at her three official Miami offices that will open by the end of August. The campaign’s Florida Caribbean vote director worked closely with Ayisyen Pou Harris.
“By fostering strong connections with community leaders, organizations, and constituents, we aim to build a coalition that not only supports Harris but also champions policies that reflect the values and aspirations of the Caribbean-American community,” Nancy Metayer Bowen said.
But facilitating political involvement from Haitians may prove to be more difficult. While the group is focused on electing Harris and her eventual VP pick, they will also work to make sure Haitians of South Florida have the tools and assistance they need to stay involved.
“We’re a young community, democracy is still very new to us and the American way is still new to us. So, we’re going to have some growing pains. But look what we did today.” Joseph said.
Procuring mail-in ballots, encouraging literacy and combatting internet misinformation are just a few priorities. Older family members, Fleurime says, share faulty links through the encrypted messaging app WhatsApp. “You can say, ‘Trump is going to buy you all houses’ in a WhatsApp group chat, they might believe it and vote for him,” she said.
Other relatives are focused on the news back home. As gang violence in Haiti has left over 1,000 dead, Haitians in Florida under Temporary Protective Status (TPS) are concerned for their safety. The Biden administration recently extended those protections so Haitians under TPS can stay until 2026, protections that are no longer guaranteed if former President Donald Trump is elected.
“We are always going to have these challenges until we have an administration that prioritizes Haiti, that puts forth policies that are going to lead Haiti in a better direction,” said North Miami mayoral candidate Naomi Blemur.
Representing the Haitian Mobilization Committee, Madeline Noel spoke of a chance to vote as one voice. “Our intent is to be vocal, be consistent. We cannot wait for someone to bring us to the table,” Noel said.
Supporting Vice President Harris means working to stop Trump, VP candidate JD Vance, and the Project 2025 agenda. In a recent interview at a media convention with Black journalists, Trump attacked Harris’ cultural identity, saying someone should “look into” whether or not she is Black. Haitians have not forgotten when he asked why more immigrants should come to the U.S. from “sh—hole” countries like Haiti.
“We’re on the precedent of a child of two immigrants about to be president of the United States. [Trump] would never understand that,” Ayisyen Pou Harris founder Joseph commented. As the first Black woman vice president, Harris often faces questions about her culture and heritage — something immigrants in Florida face constantly.
Trust in Trump is split, despite that Haitians are overwhelmingly Democrats. Haitians for Trump also has a strong following. Founded by Haitian political strategist Madgie Nicolas in 2016, the group’s X (Twitter) account says the 45th president will champion Haitian Americans despite policies and remarks to the contrary. Haitians for Trump is not just competing for attention with Ayisyen Pou Harris, but also from Republicans for Harris, which launched Aug. 4. According to a press release from former congressman Joe Walsh, the group’s endorsements come from “former Trump White House officials.”
These grassroots movements will vie for Haitian American attention over the next 90 days.
“Ayisyen for Harris is all people run,” Joseph said. “That’s how we identify ourselves. We are Ayisyen in our native language.”
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