MIAMI — With the 49th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade set to roll through Miami-Dade County on Monday, community groups spent the weekend building and decorating a float that reflect both celebration and concern.
At Greater Mount Everett Missionary Baptist Church, Pastor Laster Wilson helped prepare this float honoring Dr. King’s legacy.
“Tomorrow is another level of expression,” Wilson said. “It’s when everybody gets to play a part in remembering what it was all about -- to show unity in the community.”
Members of the 32BJ Service Employees International Union are dedicating their float to extending Temporary Protected Status for Haitians living in the United States.
One sign held by union member Michelle Pierre read, “Extend TPS Now,” and, “Haiti First Black Nation.”
The fate of roughly 350,000 Haitians nationwide hangs in the balance as TPS for Haiti is set to expire Feb. 3.
The expiration follows actions by the Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration, even as Haiti continues to struggle with political unrest, gang violence and widespread poverty.
Andy Cabrera, district leader for 32BJ SEIU, said the union’s participation in the parade is meant to echo Dr. King’s support of sanitation workers during their 1968 strike in Memphis.
“As MLK was highlighting the sanitation workers back in the day, we want to highlight the Haitian workers today,” Cabrera said.
Pierre said the issue is personal. Her aunt, who is living in the U.S. under TPS, fears being forced to return to Haiti.
“Her biggest fear is not knowing where she’s going to go,” Pierre said. “Because before she came, she sold everything to come here, thinking that she was going to come to a better place.”
An estimated 100,000 Haitians in Florida are affected by the pending expiration, leaving families uncertain about their futures.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade begins Monday at 11 a.m., traveling through Liberty City along a route from Northwest 54th Street and Seventh Avenue to Northwest 32nd Avenue.
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