12446: Activists seek representatives for Haitians on county board (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Activists seek representative for Haitians on county board

By Madeline Baró Diaz
Miami Bureau
Posted July 1 2002

MIAMI · Despite victories in the state Legislature and in municipal
government, Miami-Dade Haitian leaders continue to be frustrated in their
efforts to elect a Haitian-American to the county commission.

In late 2001, the Miami-Dade county commission redrew its districts without
recognizing Haitian-Americans as a unique group in drawing the boundaries.
The latest effort to carve out a Haitian-American district, a proposed
change to the county charter, was also soundly defeated.

Haitian-American community leaders are pursuing their goal of representation
on the commission by enlisting the help of current government officials,
exploring legal avenues and, in the case of community activist Lucie
Tondreau, pushing forward with a campaign to be Miami-Dade's first
Haitian-American commissioner.

"The chances for us to get there are very slim because we see that some of
the commissioners are reluctant about it. They feel threatened," said
Tondreau, who stepped into the race only a few weeks ago when the first
Haitian-American to ever run for county commission, Ossmann Desir, dropped
out. Tondreau is challenging incumbent Dorin Rolle in an African-American
district, and that is one of the stumbling blocks for the Haitian community
-- the concern that a Haitian-American district would be created at the
expense of an African-American district.

County Commissioner Barbara Carey-Shuler, one of four black commissioners,
says she supports the efforts by the Haitian-American community -- as long
as those efforts don't bump an African-American off the commission.

"They hold a prominent place in this community," she said of the Haitian
community. "I can certainly represent them, but I think they bring their own
perspective."

Attorney Ron Cordon, a Haitian activist who is Tondreau's campaign manager
and has been involved in the election campaigns of Haitian-Americans in
South Florida, favors a county map change which would turn one of the
African-American districts into a Haitian-American district. Cordon argues
that if a Haitian-American were elected, there would still be four black
county commissioners.

"You can't call it displacement because we're all part of one black
community," Cordon said.

Although Cordon says Haitian-Americans and African-Americans deal with many
of the same issues, he also says Haitian-Americans need their own
representative on the commission.

"We have to give people an opportunity to have role models and articulate
their particular problems," Cordon said.

Carey-Shuler proposed the resolution that could have increased the number of
county districts in the hopes of creating a district in which a
Haitian-American could be elected.

Haitian community leaders wanted the districts increased from 13 to 15, but
Carey-Shuler favored adding only one district. She said two more districts
might actually mean another seat for the largest group in Miami-Dade County
protected by federal voting laws -- Hispanics. Seven of the current 13
commissioners are Hispanic.

"That group is already well represented," Carey-Shuler said.

The proposal was rejected, but the way the issue was presented to the county
commission frustrated Haitian-Americans. As a charter resolution,
commissioners did not allow public comment on it during the meeting this
month. State Rep. Phillip Brutus, the first Haitian-American elected to the
state Legislature, was allowed to speak as a courtesy.

Commissioners who were in favor of increasing the number of districts
half-heartedly discussed whether it should be one or two districts while
others brought up questions about what the new proposed map would look like
and what the financial effect would be. Commissioner Betty Ferguson said it
was "gambling" to think one or two extra districts would guarantee more
diversity on the commission.

No official Census figures exist on Haitian-Americans and Haitians are also
not one of the groups protected under the federal Voting Rights Act.

The new county districts, based on figures from the 2000 Census, have about
175,000 people in each of the 13 districts. Cordon said estimates put the
number of Haitians in Miami-Dade at 250,000, more than enough for their own
district.

Despite no official Census figures, county officials know how many Haitians
live in the county, Cordon contends. He cites the fact that Creole-language
ballots are offered in certain precincts in Miami-Dade County. Cordon and
other advocates want Haitians recognized in the redistricting process as a
"community of interest."

The City of North Miami also has a lawsuit pending against the county over
its new map. Previously represented by two county commissioners, North Miami
is now split into four districts. The city alleges that it is an effort to
dilute the voting power of the Haitian-American community in North Miami,
the largest city in the United States with a majority Haitian-American city
council. A hearing on a motion by Miami-Dade County to dismiss the suit is
scheduled for next month.

Cordon thinks Haitian-American voters should be suing the county on their
own, but that costs money. As a sole practitioner, Cordon says he lacks the
resources and expertise to take on the case. No one else has stepped up to
take the case on behalf of the voters, Cordon said.

"It's not dead, but it is something we think is needed," he said.

Madeline Baró Diaz can be reached at mbaro@sun-sentinel.com or 305-810-5007.





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