ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS NOT BE DONALD:

"[Haitians] contribute mightily to the city," said Louijeune in an interview as she got ready to host the festivities. "When we talk about getting our kids to school on time, a lot of that is Haitian bus drivers. And essential workers who make sure our kids have food in school, and a younger generation of engineers and doctors. . . . Whether it's Haitian teachers, Haitian DJs, or Haitian nonprofit leaders, I want to create spaces where we can all come together and where we feel like a strong, fortified community."

And yet, even as Boston's Haitians gathered to celebrate for the first time in person since 2019, there was a major cloud hanging over their heads: the future of their homeland.

Haiti has become a dangerous and chaotic place to live. Conditions on the ground, which are worsening, have been pushing thousands of Haitians to flee and embark on risky journeys to seek refuge in other countries, primarily in the United States through the southern border.

Louijeune has not only been representing and advocating for the local Haitian diaspora and recent arrivals from her country; she has also raised her voice to push the US government to take more constructive foreign and domestic stances toward Haiti, such as ending the dreadful Title 42 expulsions. Since President Biden's inauguration, more than 20,000 Haitians have been sent back to a country that cannot keep them safe. These expulsions represent an astonishing American moral failure.

Tweet   @brothersjudd