Chicago Politics

Haitian Heritage Month Reception 5.13.26

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Mayor Brandon Johnson attends the Haitian Heritage Month Reception.

Transcript

6:57 Wow, this is beautiful to see. Did you see what's behind you here, Mayor? Oh, wow. Good afternoon again, everyone. On behalf of the Coalition of Haitian American Organizations in the Chicago area, the Office of the Consulate General of IET in Chicago, and our many community partners, welcome to City Hall. As we gather in celebration of Haitian Heritage Month, we are honored to be here again for only the second time in Chicago's history to formally celebrate Haitian Heritage Month in City Hall.

7:45 Under the leadership of Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Haitian community continues to be recognized, welcomed, celebrated as a part of the rich cultural fabric of this city. Together, we gather to honor Haitian culture, Haitian history, Haitian resilience, and the many contributions of the Haitian diaspora right here in Chicago.

8:15 Haitian Heritage Month is more than a celebration. It is a call to remember who we are, where we come from, and the responsibility we carry to preserve our culture, uplift our people, and stand together in community. Thank you all for being here. I want to begin again by thanking Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Mayor's Office for opening the doors of City Hall and recognizing the Haitian community during this important month.

8:46 We also extend our deep appreciation to Consul General Leand and the Office of the Consulate General of Haiti in Chicago for their leadership, partnership, and continued service to our community. We acknowledge our elected officials, city representatives, clergy, coalition members, daughters of Haiti, community organizations, cultural partners, volunteers, and every guest who made time to be here with us today.

9:22 Your presence is deeply appreciated, your support straightens the work that we do as a community, and your continued commitment helps to make sure that the Haitian community is seen, heard, and celebrated in Chicago. At this time, it is my honor to invite Consul General Leand. to offer remarks. Consul General, thank you for your leadership and for all that you continue to do to strengthen the connection between Haiti and the diaspora. Please join me in welcoming Consul

9:57 Leon. Bonsoir à tout le monde. Comment nous y est? This is Asian Heritage Month. Dien-nous bonsoir à Crayola. Honorable Brandon Johnson, mayor of the city of Chicago. Honorable members of the city council. Honorable members of the Consular Corps, I respectfully acknowledge all dignitaries

10:33 and guests present in their various capacities and extend my warmest and most cordial greetings. Distinguished members of the Haitian American Organization of Chicago, my dear fellow Haitian sisters and brothers, ladies and gentlemen, I am deeply honored to address this esteemed gathering with the prestigious hall of this city hall.

11:08 It is a privilege to attend this reception marking Asian Heritage Month. On behalf of the government of Haiti, of the Republic of Haiti, and on my own behalf, I wish to convey my highest consideration and my profound gratitude to Mayor Johnson and the City Council members for the graciousness and the warmth of their welcome.

11:41 By opening the door of the city hall to Haitian culture, you do more than honor a community. You pay tribute to the universality of our shared values. As the cradle of the world's first independent black republic, Haiti transcends borders of a single nation to take its rightful place within the heritage of the human spirit.

12:16 It stands as a vibrant testament that liberty is by no means a favor but an inalienable right. This is the very essence of the oath of 1804, a sacred promise of dignity bequoted to all humanity. Ladies and gentlemen, the history that binds Haiti to Chicago is by no means a matter of chance.

12:48 It is etched into the very foundation of this great metropolis by Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable. This son of Haiti, through his vision and fortitude, sharp destiny of a city that today stands as a beacon of the world. In celebrating our heritage, we honor a defining chapter of Chicago's own identity.

13:19 Our heritage is not merely a vestige of our past. It is the bedrock of our resilience and a vital catalyst of our national destiny. It finds expression in Creole, that language of resistance which has become language of poetry. It is reflected in our art, which transcends suffering through color, and in the rite of compa, which unite continents in dance.

13:56 It is the shadow of Toussaint Louverture, whose vision continues to enlighten the conscience of the world and the spirit of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, whose courage remains even today a foundation for human hope. Honorable Mayor, by honoring Haiti, you pay a vibrant tribute to the thousands of Haitian-Americans who shaped Chicago's destiny.

14:27 You rightly remind us that the strength of this city resides in the fruitful diversity of all its daughters and sons. Your administration embodies that commitment to justice and inclusion that defines the greatness of democracies. In this challenging time for our Bill of Age, the solidarity you have shown is a balm to our compatriot hearts.

14:58 It serves as a reminder that despite the distance, we belong to one human family, united by mutual respect and a shared aspiration for peace. To the City of Chicago, and mostly to you, Honorable Mayor, Haiti express its profound gratitude.

15:33 Thank you. Thank you for keeping the flame of 1804 burning bright. Thank you for elevating the Haitian heritage to the status of shared human heritage. May this celebration usher in an era of deeper dialogue and steadfast friendship. May the spirit of Haiti continue to fertilize the land of Illinois. And may our partnership forever stand as a testament to brotherhood.

16:10 Long live the bond between Haiti and Chicago. Long live the freedom. Thank you all. Merci. Merci tout le monde. Thank you, Consul Léon, for those meaningful words. Now, it is my great honor to welcome Mayor Brandon Johnson. Mayor Johnson, thank you for recognizing Haitian Heritage Month

16:42 and for standing with the Haitian community here in Chicago. Your presence today is deeply appreciated. Please join me in welcoming our mayor. Well, thank you very much, and good afternoon, everyone. I don't know if I've seen this floor this packed since I've been mayor. The Haitian community, Yashon, out today.

17:20 Let me just also just offer up my most sincere gratitude for the Haitian community, the Haitian American community, but Chicago in particular, because you have not only stood the test of time, but the spirit of resistance and the spirit of hope and transformation is alive in Chicago because of our dear brother, Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable.

17:59 And as we celebrate Haitian American Heritage Month, that this is really a celebration for the city of Chicago. And I want to thank the chair of the Haitian American Coalition Chicago, Ms. Montez, for being a great host. I also want to thank the Council General of Haiti, Jean-Joseph Lian. Thank you for joining us today for your leadership and your incredible words. I also want to thank all of the elected leaders that are here today.

18:32 But I want to give a special thanks, of course, to this incredible cuisine that we're going to enjoy today. Now, I'm going to get in trouble here. You know, there are folks all over the globe that make oxtails, but they don't do it like Haitians. As I said before, I know my Dominican brothers are going to be fussing at me in a minute.

19:08 They're going to have to take that up with the Haitians. But Chicago would not be the city that it is today without the person who established this city. who understood that the trading posts along the bank of the river would one day become the global capital of the world. For immigrants around the world to come to this beloved city, and for those of us who are descendants of the enslaved, could find hope and dreams fulfilled in this beloved city.

19:43 And today, our proud and vibrant Haitian-American community, you all continue to play an important role in every single aspect of our city. And by sharing this great, rich culture, traditions, and history, not only have you attributed to the diversity and the fabric of our city, but you are part of the future of our city. And that is why it is so important that we continue to come together to celebrate the resilience, the strength of the people of Haiti, while also recognizing the hardships that we are facing.

20:19 And right now, many people and families in Haiti are dealing with the economic challenges of our time, are dealing with the violence, of course, that is permeating throughout our land. But we're also experiencing that right here in our city. And many individuals, whether you are documented or not, or whether you are the recipient of benefits of those of us who are descendants of the formerly enslaved, or whether you are just a working-class person who is looking for hope and opportunities

20:52 to live in safe and affordable communities. There's a great deal of fear and consternation that is permeating throughout our land, and it's often expressed against the most vulnerable. But even as we face hardship, the strength, the resilience, and the culture that our Haitian people display. You inspire me. And if Toussaint and Jean Baptiste can stand up to tyranny,

21:25 so can and will the city of Chicago. So I'm standing here today to let you all know that the city of Chicago is standing together in solidarity with the Haitian community here and around the world. And I want to give a special shout-out to the Coalition of Haitian American Organizations in Chicago for your ongoing efforts to advocate for, uplift, and empower our Haitian American community.

21:58 Please know that my administration will continue to work to ensure that every community can feel safe, protected, and supported by our city. We will always celebrate the diversity of our city. we will always embrace inclusion. We will always make sure that there's equity when it comes to the services that the city of Chicago provides. The civic partnership that we have between our nations and our collective cities, it's what makes us the greatest city in the world, the city of Chicago. God bless you all and happy Haitian Heritage Month. Let's go eat some oxtails.

22:35 Thank you, Mayor Johnson. We will now move into a special cultural performance. Today, we are honored to welcome Jania, who will be dancing to Aitse by the late and beloved Haitian artist, Mika Ben. For those of you who don't know, this song is a love letter to Haiti.

23:15 It reminds us of Haiti's beauty, spirit, culture, and soul. Through this performance, we honor not only our heritage, but the deep emotional connection so many of us carry for Haiti. Please welcome Jania.

24:08 Haiti c'est sante kafe, ka monte nan mèm le martin C'est sante la ouze, p'u fek pose Pouf le dize, ka bouj an mèm Haiti c'est basemble, kwa se Pichon avec Sodo, c'est Akadè, la citadel, c'est Labadie et Maribou. Haïti, c'est Lavalée, c'est Françali et Zabrico, c'est Monde la Sel, Pric Macaya, c'est Mamlada et Monde du Gogo.

24:40 Haïti, son douce macos, c'est yon poye et pistache gluye, son jikolé qui poube en France, son bouteille cola bien glacée. Haiti soubon quio, soubon frità, yonbon tasso soubon leguim, aveq si soubon di aveq lano Haiti soubon bunion, sss Жumon, apuflimo soubon cassava, evèq nomba kaf senpena, acasan

25:11 Haiti soubon don boie, ga marimeno bonsa zoa, souba bouchan, on bo creun We can not let you know Why is it like Something about me I need you to be defeated Why is it like Something about me I need you To kill you They need you to be defeated

26:01 Thank you, Jania. That was beautiful and so heartfelt. Thank you so much. Give her another round of applause. At this time, we will hear briefly from a community reflection about some of the work's accomplishments

26:38 and the continued presence of Haitians here in Chicago. Please welcome our representative today, Madame Roland Supri. Thank you, Sandy. Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Roland Supri. I am the founder of We Care Charitable Foundation, a non-for-profit organization that's been helping underprivileged kids in Haiti for over 25 years.

27:16 As we celebrate Haitian Heritage Month here in Chicago, I want to take a moment to honor the work, accomplishments, and continued presence of Haitians across this city. Haitians in Chicago are educators, nurses, business owners, artists, non-profit leaders, faith leaders, organizers, students, parents, and public servants.

27:47 We are building institutions, creating programs, reserving culture, supporting families, and making sure our community is seen and heard. We see this work to organizations like the Haitian American Museum in Chicago, the Haitian American Professional Networks, Operation SOS, Daughters of Haiti, the Coalition of Haitian-American Organization, Concern, Haitian Commerce of Illinois, Chai,

28:25 Communities and Strength, Haitian Visibility in Chicago. We're here today to remind us that our story belongs to the public. Our story belongs in the public record in the city. Haitian history is Chicago history. From Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable to the leaders serving in our communities today,

28:57 Haitians have helped shape the identity and culture and spirit of Chicago. So, today, we celebrate not only where we come from, but what we continue to build. May we continue to show up for one another, protect our culture, uplift our youth, and make room for the next generation to lead with pride. Like Haitian Proverbs said, may appeal.

29:30 Thank you very much, and have a blessed day. Thank you. Thank you so much, Wolan. I want to take a moment, as we are here gathered, part of the reason we're here is because Haitian heritage has been acknowledged in the city of Chicago. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the alders that have made that possible for us.

30:01 I want to give a special shout-out to Alderman Desmond Yancey. Where are you? Alderman Ronnie Mosley and Alderman Pat Dowell. And even before we got to the celebration of Haitian heritage, there's this street down there. I don't know if you guys are familiar with it, right over there by the lake.

30:34 You guys know that street, right? It goes all the way down, right? What's it called? Thank you, Alderman David Moore, for making that happen for us. As we close out the formal portion of today's program, I want to again thank you, Mayor Johnson, and the Mayor's Office, your staff.

31:06 Phenomenal. Phenomenal. Phenomenal in putting all of this together for us. Also, the consul's office, Consul Leand, and the Office of the Consulate General of Vaiti in Chicago, our elected officials, the city hall staff, our community partners who are here, our coalition partners, our volunteers, and everyone who's here today. Thank you for doing that. We are proud to celebrate Haitian Heritage Month here in Chicago. We are proud to see our flag. Did you guys see the signs downstairs?

31:37 Yes. This is the first time. This has never happened for us. Let us keep showing up for one another. Let us keep honoring IET with dignity and pride, and let us continue building a stronger, more visible Haitian community here in Chicago. Thank you again for being here. Ketu's Cuisine, as well as some special requests by the mayor from Liora's Cafe.

32:08 It's going to be available for you here. Oh, I can tell you all about those. You want to hear about them? Thank you, Attorney Senat. The city wants to know. Okay, very briefly. We only have a couple seconds because we have to be mindful of the mayor's time. Okay, so very briefly. Very briefly. Today is the 13th, May 16th. We have our Community Flag Day Festival that's going to be held in Burnham.

32:43 More details to follow. If you don't have that information, please see me. Please see Jean-Claude. Please see Sabine. Please see Patrick. Please see Daniel. Please see Daryl. All of us have been working very hard on that. So that is on Saturday. On Monday, come back and join us at Daily Plaza for the flag raising. That is the first time, first time that our flag will raise at Daly Plaza. We need you to come out the same way you did today.

33:15 Come out and support and be present, be in the space, and let's show City of Chicago that we are here. On Wednesday, May the 20th, we make it official. The City Council will acknowledge our resolution on the council floor. All are welcome. Please get here early. around 9 o'clock so that you can sit in the gallery. You have to get through the security and everything that happens there,

33:48 but everyone is welcome to come and listen to the resolution. It is an honor. It is amazing. We are so excited about that. And then, of course, shameless plug, Anastasi. On May 30th, Le Bal Bleu Rouge is the celebration of Haitian excellence. We close out the month with a gala at Malcolm X College, hosted by the Daughters of Haiti. We welcome you. We invite you. And please join us. Featuring our keynote speaker, former White House press secretary and author and assistant or I'm sorry, I'm getting it all wrong now.

34:28 Anastasi put me on the spot here. Anyhow, Miss Karine Jean-Pierre will be joining us as our keynote. She will also be hosting a book signing the next day. So please join us. Okay, okay. Did you want to come up here and give this list? The Haitian American Professional Network is also hosting their Sip and Paint tomorrow at Liora's Cafe. Come sip, come paint. Okay, that's the last one. Thank you. We have plenty more.

34:59 At this time, we'd like to invite some designated guests to take a quick photo with the mayor. Our first group is going to be the consulate corps with the mayor. then immediately

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