Support the Commission of the Status of Citizens of Haitian Descent
Support the Commission of the Status of Citizens of Haitian Descent
The Issue
Please take a moment to read and sign the petition for the establishment of a permanent Commission of the Status of Citizens of Haitian Descent.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, last year, took a leap towards the future to further build the resilience of the Haitian community by establishing a permanent representative body that will take the lead in addressing Haitian affairs, the Commission of the Status of People of Haitian Descent. The symbolic significance of this bill, S.1819 Act Establishing a Commission on the Status of Citizens of Haitian Descent by Senator Nick Collins, is that it will create a renewed destiny for people of Haitian descent in the Commonwealth. The next step is to bring this bill to the Massachusetts Legislature this year.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is home to the third largest population of Haitian residents and descendants of Haitian ancestry in the United States. The historical linkages between Massachusetts and Republic of Haiti run deep and are intertwined for this relationship went back to the nascent years of this new nation in the Western Hemisphere. In 1871, the Haitian people recognized Charles Sumner for his diplomatic services to Haiti, contributing to the passage of federal legislation that recognized Haiti as a sovereign state. Secondly, Mr. Frederick Douglas, an African-American, serving as the First United States Ambassador to Haiti, came from Massachusetts. Other important historical connections that can be mentioned as those have greatly contributed in shaping historical, cultural, as well as socio-ecological landscape such as W.E.B DuBois, hailed from Massachusetts, who has contributed to the intellectual thought of the United States, and, John James Audubon, a Haitian-American self-trained naturalist, who has left his marks on conservation and ecology of the country. This legacy of Haitian and Haitian descent contributions in the social fabric of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States has endured in modern times. This legacy is reborn in the appointment of Dr. Claudine Gay, who is a Haitian descendant becoming Harvard University’s 30th President.
The commission is a permanent body that will be a resource to the commonwealth on issues affecting Haitian and Haitian-American communities in the commonwealth. To ensure and promote wellbeing of Haitians and Haitian-Americans, the commission will promote research and serve as a clearinghouse and source of information on issues pertaining to Haitians and Haitian-Americans in the commonwealth while serving as a liaison between government and private interest groups with regard to matters of unique interest and concern to the Haitian community.
Be part of history-making legislation by signing this petition and let the Massachusetts Legislature know that you want to see the establishment of a permanent Commission on the Status of Citizens of Haitian Descent.
Petition Closed
The Issue
Please take a moment to read and sign the petition for the establishment of a permanent Commission of the Status of Citizens of Haitian Descent.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, last year, took a leap towards the future to further build the resilience of the Haitian community by establishing a permanent representative body that will take the lead in addressing Haitian affairs, the Commission of the Status of People of Haitian Descent. The symbolic significance of this bill, S.1819 Act Establishing a Commission on the Status of Citizens of Haitian Descent by Senator Nick Collins, is that it will create a renewed destiny for people of Haitian descent in the Commonwealth. The next step is to bring this bill to the Massachusetts Legislature this year.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is home to the third largest population of Haitian residents and descendants of Haitian ancestry in the United States. The historical linkages between Massachusetts and Republic of Haiti run deep and are intertwined for this relationship went back to the nascent years of this new nation in the Western Hemisphere. In 1871, the Haitian people recognized Charles Sumner for his diplomatic services to Haiti, contributing to the passage of federal legislation that recognized Haiti as a sovereign state. Secondly, Mr. Frederick Douglas, an African-American, serving as the First United States Ambassador to Haiti, came from Massachusetts. Other important historical connections that can be mentioned as those have greatly contributed in shaping historical, cultural, as well as socio-ecological landscape such as W.E.B DuBois, hailed from Massachusetts, who has contributed to the intellectual thought of the United States, and, John James Audubon, a Haitian-American self-trained naturalist, who has left his marks on conservation and ecology of the country. This legacy of Haitian and Haitian descent contributions in the social fabric of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States has endured in modern times. This legacy is reborn in the appointment of Dr. Claudine Gay, who is a Haitian descendant becoming Harvard University’s 30th President.
The commission is a permanent body that will be a resource to the commonwealth on issues affecting Haitian and Haitian-American communities in the commonwealth. To ensure and promote wellbeing of Haitians and Haitian-Americans, the commission will promote research and serve as a clearinghouse and source of information on issues pertaining to Haitians and Haitian-Americans in the commonwealth while serving as a liaison between government and private interest groups with regard to matters of unique interest and concern to the Haitian community.
Be part of history-making legislation by signing this petition and let the Massachusetts Legislature know that you want to see the establishment of a permanent Commission on the Status of Citizens of Haitian Descent.
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Petition created on May 22, 2023