=?x-unknown?q?23583=3A__Nlbo=3A__Haitian_Adults'=80Involvement?==?x-unknown?q?_with_the_Youth_=28fwd=29?=

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Nlbo@aol.com

The following text appeared on the October 2004 issue of the Boston Haitian
Reporter under the title:

                                Julaine Jules’ Passing: A Moment to Reflect

 The aftermath of last May’s flood in Fond Verettes is still vivid while
Haiti is hit by another natural disaster in Gonaïves.  Ironically the corpse of a
Gonaïves native Julaine, was found in Charles River among the same time bodies
were submerged in mudslide in her hometown.  However, natural disaster did
not send the 26 year old cadaver  floating on Charles River, but presumed
violence did.

What else it would take to start paying attention to Young Haitian-Americans?
If  women  of childbearing age are dying, how will the black race procreate?
Last May on a research analysis on the Haitian community, Charlot Lucien wrote
“that in gender distribution the ratio is 62% female and 38% male.” Given
that  a woman organization functions in Dorchester, isn’t it time to think about
an  organization in the northern region that will focus on women and girls
and communicate with other fields to provide females education about their
involvement in society and relationship skills?

Last July,  I heard on the radio 15 young Haitians died violenty in three
consecuvite months.  I went to the funeral of a 23 year old who succumbed from a
car accident after leaving a party.  No Haitian “leader”or clergy be it
catholic or protestant was present in Wanderson Lebeau’s emotionally tensed
funeral.  Since Julaine’s disappearance raised national attention, her service will
be packed with Haitian community “leaders.” Eloquent eulogies will be
pronounced. Highly emotional expressions of grief will be manifested.  One more black
family will miss their daughter and nothing will be done to prevent more young
people dying of violence or committing violent crimes themselves. ( This text
was written and submitted prior to the funeral around the time the body was
found, thus the nature of using  future tense.)

I am feeling utterly concerned that we are not paying attention to young
Haitians in the Boston area. They are the future of the community and the bearer
of our rich culture.  We need to have an environment where  Haitian-Americans
can be politically, culturally, and spiritually engaged. During election time,
young Haitians can be involved in working in politicians' offices, do
visibilities, phone calls, translate flyers, distribute literature, and the like.
Churches can have them volunteer in homeless shelters or food pantries.  Haitians
churches can envisage weekend dances so our Youth have a safe place to
socialize like mainstream churches do. Have the Youth be “Big brother” or “Big
Sister” to younger children. If Haitian adults are willing to receive proper
training, they can learn a lot on how to help our offsprings live  healthy
bicultural lives.  More often, parents put emphasis on working to provide a nice
house, pay sometimes a private, Catholic education. Haitian “leaders” don’t seem
to visualize the future, the bigger picture so we can have a more vibrant
community.

According to a research conducted by CCHER (Center for Community Health
Education and Research), 67% of those interviewed believed that clergy members have
a greater impact on their lives, 30 % the media, 3% the teachers.  Thus, the
need for an influential Haitian clergy to receive training and demonstrate
willingness to work with professionals who can assist them in providing a 21rst
century spirituality to Young people and professional Haitians is more urgent
than ever.  Young college graduates attend  protestant services, though they
spend too much time in  church premise  in lieu of being engaged in
aforementioned activities.  However, among the estimated 2,000 practicing Catholics active
in Haitian ministries, one can count on both hands the number of  Haitian
college students or graduates between 18 and 45 who are active in Haitian
parishes. Older professionals are not active either in Haitian churches.  Sometimes I
wonder “ the brain drain” that occurred in Haiti, the 72% of doctors who
leave after graduation, all those professionals who are doing well in the
mainstream, why can’t some of that “brain” go to the well being of the Haitian
community, be role models for the younger ones,  guide them and help the parents
who were not  fortunate to have an education?  One needs  some material
stability. Yet, what is the importance of six digit figure houses in Haiti, or
expensive cars here if we have to bury a recent college graduate?

 In Julaine’s eulogy, it will be mentioned that she was an Emmanuel College
graduate as the Malden Observer did. However, in 30 years of being an active
church member, I have never seen any  recognition or celebration for the
graduates, or anything related to education or printed useful information in my
Haitian parish or to my knowledge any Haitian church.

When Julaine did not come home the end of August, an“Amber Alert” was
disseminated in  the entire Boston area and beyond.  The aftermath of hurricane
Jeanne in Gonaïves created what I consider another "Amber Alert" during Haiti’s
200 year history.  Haitians need to start reflecting on how we have been
reacting on various “Amber Alerts” in the past two centuries and what ecological,
educational, political, economic, and social mechanisms can be permanently in
place to respond to future " Ivans", "Jeannes" or past "Hazels", "Floras", for
hurricanes constitute a contextual reference in Haitians’ upbringing and
culture.

Today the world is technologically more equipped and we have more educated
Haitians than those born around Hazel( ca.l954) or Flora ( ca.1963).  We should
have been able to do better, to have less mudslide, less death , not more.

Let's hope 200 years from now, by paying attention to our Youth, our great
grand children can look at Haiti, as “the Pearl” she once was, like a piece of
art.  Every time ones looks at the art work, one sees something more
enlightening, more hopeful, more eclectic, not despair and hopelessness.


Nekita Lamour is an experienced educator [and active member of the Haitian
religious and civic communities].  Her column appears regularly in the Boston
Haitian Reporter.