Check out my newly-published piece:
“Rooted in Resilience and Future Hope: A Letter to Young Haitian Immigrants Living in the United States”
Dear Young Haitian Immigrant,
I write to you not only as someone who shares our common cultural heritage and identity, but also as an individual who has lived the immigrant experience in the United States. This journey is often ambivalent; however, you will need to learn to balance personal dreams and choices with life’s challenges, ancestral heritage with adaptation to a new land, and individual ambition with service and solidarity within your community.
First and foremost, you should never forget that your African ancestors left you a remarkable legacy, and the latter is marked by a history of Haitian pride and courage, a spirit of resilience and boldness, and a communal optimism that has sustained generations of Haitians, both at home and throughout the diaspora. Your path in this host country is more than a personal story; it is part of a larger narrative of a strong people who have endured slavery and colonialism, resisted anti-Black racism and anti-Haitian prejudice, and yet they contributed meaningfully to the pursuit of a more democratic and just world. Don’t be deceived: Your freedom was not granted to you as a gift; your ancestors secured it through the toil of their labor and the sacrifice of their blood.
drcelucienjoseph, "Thinking and Meditating" 