Haitian Americans celebrate flag day in South Florida

MIAMI — Haitian Americans are showing their red and blue pride on Thursday in South Florida.

Every year, for centuries, the celebration marks the anniversary of the date of the flag’s adoption in 1803 amid conflicts between slaves and British and French colonizers.

On Wednesday, about two dozen prepared to mark the historic day with poetry and music at Miami Dade College.

On Wednesday, about two dozen prepared to mark the historic day with poetry and music at Miami Dade College.

Many of their relatives in Port-au-Prince have been under the threat of gang-fueled violence that the National Police has been unable to control since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.

It’s hard to celebrate these days. Experts estimate there are seven large gangs controlling some 200 criminal groups in Haiti, the poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean region.

Watch video of the Miami-Dade event

Recent images from Haiti

A vendor salvages items from the burned ruins of the Shada Market in the Petion-ville area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, May 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) (Odelyn Joseph/AP)

Copyright 2023 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

About The Author
Andrea Torres

Andrea Torres

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.