I knew very little about Haiti before the devastating earthquake of 2010. At that time, every report accentuated the fact that Haiti was the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. For anyone who wanted to learn more about this suffering country, it didn’t take long to realize that the Haitian culture is rich in hope and faith, in music and art. We do them and ourselves a disservice when we reduce any culture or person to a single catchphrase.
At the time of the earthquake I wanted to adjust the lens that might cloud our vision. As a former teacher and a middle grade author I wanted the world and the children I serve to see that Haiti is so much more than the sum of her disappointments and disasters. So much more than broken buildings, dirt and dust.
I filed away the manuscript I had been working on in order to research and write my 2013 verse novel, Serafina’s Promise. Writing Serafina’s Promise reminded me that the true measure of a life isn’t what we have but what we do with what we have and how we care for one another. I always knew this, but in the face of so much devastation, it was remarkable to discover how full of faith and hope the Haitian people remained. Writing Serafina’s Promise humbled me and made me appreciate all I have, not the least of which is fresh water at my fingertips. All these years later, I have kept the people and culture of Haiti in my heart.
There were those who questioned and even criticized a white woman writing about a black child and a culture outside her own. I don’t usually respond to such criticisms but the wild stories of a Haitian community in Ohio that were recently circulating on social media and then echoed by a former president of the United States and his running mate have dared me out of my silence. Until we are able to recognize and rout out the ugly undercurrent of racism in our politics and in our personal discourse we will not reach our ideals of liberty and justice for all.
The color of our skin, the person we choose to love and the face of the God we worship, does not define our humanity. Obviously, there are factions in our country who have let themselves be fooled into believing otherwise. A former American president has built an entire movement on outrageous lies and conspiracies.
His most recent deception concerns a hardworking Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio but his biggest lie is not pointed at any one sector. It is a lie directed to all of us. We are a failing nation, this former president says. We are a nation in decline.
If I were still in the classroom, I would ask my students to look around. I would tell them that the former president is lying. There are so many people helping other people. There are so many of us who have built our lives around mutual respect, kindness, love and a sincere hope for the future. As a nation we are not bound not by our ancestry but by our shared ideals. We have far to go but will only fail if we give up.
No one who has ever loved a child gives up. We are not nation in decline. When we reject political lies and defend our immigrant cousins, when we repudiate violence in words and action, we are a nation rising.
