16789: (Hermantin)Sun-Sentinel-Miami committee for Haiti bicentennial hits a bump (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Miami committee for Haiti bicentennial hits a bump


By Alva James-Johnson
Staff Writer

September 22, 2003

A steering committee the city of Miami created to lead South Florida into a
yearlong celebration of Haiti's upcoming bicentennial is in limbo because
the city never appointed a community liaison.

The lack of progress, almost three months before the Jan. 1 anniversary of
the country's independence, has Haitian leaders in the tri-county area
scrambling to ensure that South Florida gives the bicentennial due
recognition.

"Politically, South Florida is where we have the highest concentration of
Haitian nationals in the United States," said Jean-Robert Lafortune,
chairman of the Haitian American Grassroots Coalition in Miami. "We've been
getting calls from people in California, New Jersey and Connecticut wanting
to know what Miami is doing. And we're very concerned that the bicentennial
may not be celebrated as it should."

The Miami steering committee was formed Jan. 23 with a resolution by the
Miami City Commission. It was authorized to coordinate events for the city
and other South Florida municipalities for regional activities.

While the resolution calls for the city to provide in-kind services to the
committee and aggressively pursue an economic development project in Little
Haiti, it includes no funding for cultural events.

Miami city officials said plans were delayed because the city never
appointed a liaison with the community. Cooper said Arriola only recently
became aware that the resolution existed.

She said the city plans to immediately appoint two community liaisons,
convene the steering committee and look for funding.

There's also some confusion about the makeup of the steering committee.

While the resolution calls for specific groups like the Haitian American
Grassroots Coalition to participate, city officials have met recently with
another Haitian bicentennial task force.

Alva James-Johnson can be reached at ajjohnson@sun-sentinel.com or
954-356-4523.


Copyright © 2003, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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