Revolution of the Spirit - Spotlight on Haitian-Americans changing the community

Change is brave, dangerous work. And in the history of the "New World," Haiti is one of those countries that showed immeasurable bravery and initiative in carving their future. A humble group of slaves in 1804 managed to give birth to a country, earning the prestige of being the first Black republic.

As Haiti celebrates its 208th anniversary of independence, the National Weekly highlights four Haitian-Americans who are building a quiet revolution of their own – transforming both American and Haitian economies, establishing access to human rights and needs and creating spaces for the two cultures to learn and be inspired. We hope their work is just the beginning of a new revolution, in honor of Haiti and the United States, two nations so closely bonded through change.

Marleine Bastien - "Strong women making strong communities"

The impressions that shaped the life and work of Marleine Bastien, founder and executive director of Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami, (FANM) is a familiar sight across the Caribbean.

"I lived across the marketplace from very young age, watching life in the market, the women coming from the villages, carrying their produce on their heads," remembers Bastien. "Women were the soul of the marketplace. They did everything. Sold their produce, took care of the children... Haitian women are the backbone of their families."

It was the picture of women standing at the heart of communities that now forms the mantra of Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami, Inc., a group led by Haiti-American Women of South Florida's communities, seeking to spark social change through the empowerment of women.

Bastien founded FANM in 1991 with fellow women from the community, in response to a growing need Haitians had for help beyond legal issues. She noticed these concerns while working at the Haitian Immigration Center, a free legal service advocating for immigrants singled out for discriminative treatment.

"Everyone came to the refugee center for everything. Health services, employment," recalls Bastien. "Yet the center only provided for legal services. In my mind, there was a void that needed to be filled. At the time, Haitians were left to fend for themselves."

FANM tries "to meet the need of these great, courageous families," by providing professional and entrepreneurial training and opportunities to Haitian women, access to healthcare, adult and youth education and family counseling.

Recently celebrating its 20th anniversary, FANM has, despite difficulties, earned support from the community and the world, receiving numerous awards for their social advocacy.

"When we were first organized in 1991, they [men] viewed the name negatively, because they thought we were going to teach women to "wear the pants" in the family," says Bastien. "But when we see women we see everyone... men, children. We believe that strong women make strong families, and strong families make strong communities"

"We (women) do not want to rule over anyone. We want our little girls to grow up believing they can become anything... to be nurtured, to be encouraged and to be given equal access and equal opportunity. The family is better for it."

And always at the core of FANM is the combination of community services with strong social advocacy for Haitian refugees and other immigrants. The group has campaigned and promoted public awareness on immigrant rights and quality of life for lower-income families. Currently, FANM's current efforts are focused on support for the Dream Act, a program that creates a route to citizenship for undocumented students, and the Hait­ian Fam­ily Reuni­fi­ca­tion Parole Pro­gram, which would allow Haitians already approved for legal entrance to enter the U.S. and reunite with close family members while awaiting visa avail­abil­ity.

And again, at the center of these issues are always the families and the women who lead them; mothers wanting better futures for their children, and sisters, daughters and wives longing to be reunited with their loved ones.

"I'm proud that we can claim to have a comprehensive social advocacy center... but also that we give people a voice to fight for equal treatment," says Bastien. "We believe in giving our clients the tools to denounce inequality, the voice to advocate on their own behalf."

Read more profiles through the links below:

Commissioner Jean Monestime - "Building bridges" for Miami-Dade

Eveline Pierre - Haitian museum for a living heritage

Pierre Saliba - Building business with the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce