On a gloomy, seemingly quiet Sunday in Chicago, several dozen Haitian Americans and allies made their presence known, rallying together to stop Haitian hate.
"We want to rally around Haitians across the U.S. who are dealing with Haitian hate," said Daniel Jean Jr., president of the Haitian American Professional Network. "We want to get the message out that we are not going to stand for this.”
The rally comes after unsubstantiated claims made by former President Donald Trump and threats that ensued toward Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio.
During a presidential debate, Trump claimed there were reports of Haitian migrants in Ohio abusing animals and pets. Law enforcement and elected officials in the area said there were no confirmed reports or evidence of those claims.
On Sunday at Federal Plaza, groups worked to get rid of that rhetoric and instead highlight the contributions Haitian immigrants make to society.
“When we come to the U.S., we come to work. We come to take care of our family. We come to educate ourselves," said Marie Lynn Toussaint, president of Haitian Congress. "We stand in solidarity with them, and we know they’re being treated unfairly.”
Toussaint was born in Haiti and came to the U.S. when she was 11 years old. She is now an attorney.
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Jean Jr. has a similar success story from his parents, who immigrated to Chicago in the late 1970s.
"When she [Jean Jr.'s mom] got here she started out flipping burgers and then retired as a respiratory therapist for Rush Hospital after putting herself through school, putting us through school," he said. "It’s unfair, the treatment and the way our contributions are being overlooked.”
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Organizers also pointed out Sunday that Markenzy Lapointe, the U.S. attorney leading the office prosecuting the suspect in Donald Trump's assassination attempt, is Haitian.
