16680: (Hermantin)Sun Sentinel-For love of Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

For love of Haiti



By Christine Davis
Special Correspondent

September 7, 2003

Lincoln Joseph, 32, came to Delray Beach from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, when he
was 12. His brother, Marcus Joseph, 30, followed him the next year.

Enjoying their American life, they decided to gather their family and
friends for a Fourth of July picnic of hotdogs and hamburgers at Caloosa
Park in Boynton Beach six years ago.

"Marcus picked the date," Lincoln Joseph said. "We put up a Haitian flag and
an American flag. We played all kinds of music, even Spanish, and people
just came up and joined."

They invited family and friends, and neighboring picnickers joined in and
the brothers soon found themselves hosting a party of 50. The Josephs' proud
tradition became an annual event, growing bigger each year.

The last time, 250 people showed up.

The success of the picnic got the men thinking about how they could give
back to their adoptive country by sharing their Haitian culture.

They set to work organizing Delray Beach's first Haitian Culture Festival,
which is planned for Sept. 14. The brothers are pulling together and funding
the entertainment. Their friends Barbelyne Nerette, 22, and Hercules Destin,
35, both of Boca Raton, have thrown in some time, money and effort.

"Being a Haitian in Delray, I saw there were so many events on Atlantic
Avenue," Lincoln Joseph said. "When I came back from college in Michigan, I
saw the Cinco de Mayo, the Roots Festival. There's also Flag Day on May 18,
but I wanted a festival specifically Haitian, concentrating on the culture,
and on a larger scale for Haitians to show a positive influence as well.

"It would help break stereotypes and people would get along better and
bridge a lot of barriers. This will be good for the Haitian-Americans who
have been born in the United States, too."

Lincoln Joseph is a graphic designer and Marcus Joseph is a Web designer, so
they have set up a company, Rexnite.com, with a Web site with the same name.
The company and site promote Haitian events and event sponsors. Another Web
site, www.welovehaiti.com, is the official festival Web site.

"One of Delray Beach's goals is to promote cultural diversity in Delray
Beach, and this festival was an opportunity to show that," said Bob
Barcinski, the city's assistant city manager.

The Caribbean Music Festival was put on by the Haitian Culture Society of
the Palm Beaches for the second time on May 10. "It was very much geared to
the Haitian community," Barcinski said.

The Haitian Culture Festival will feature Haitian art, dance and music.
"There's going to be art and crafts and a lot of fun," Lincoln Joseph said.

The music: compas and Haitian hip-hop, which will be live. Some musicians
are coming from Haiti, such as Sweet Micky. Sky'z Da Limit and Degree from
Delray Beach and Nu-Look from Miami are also scheduled to perform.

Dance teams from Lake Worth and Plantation high schools, as well as Haitian
dancers, will perform. Food from local Haitian, Jamaican and African
restaurants will be offered at booths, along with American fare. Other
vendors will sell Haitian arts and crafts.

"I'm excited about Nu-Look coming," said Nerette, who is stage manager.
"They are a big Haitian band and are popular right now. People are on their
side."


Copyright © 2003, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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