On Sunday August 30th hundreds of people joined in solidarity with the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, in response to the ending of Temporary Protected Status by the Trump administration and the Supreme Court. People came together from across Ohio and the U.S., including Third Actors from Athens, Yellow Springs and Cincinnati.
There are 10,000 to 12,000 Haitians in Springfield who have been indispensable workers and part of the fabric of the Springfield Community. And now they are being detained and sent back to Haiti to face gang violence and terror.
In the morning there was a gathering outside a Haitian church to provide support. Haitians have been staying home and avoiding worship for fear of being detained by ICE. That was followed by pot luck, a spirited rally with singing and speakers from the community. The cry was to “Unshackle Springfield” a reference to the ankle monitors ICE is placing on Haitians and how they are like the shackles that bound black slaves. Finally there was a “Jericho Walk” where rally goers marched seven times around the Springfield City Hall Plaza.
You can help by calling Senators Bernie Moreno and John Husted and asking them to support S. 4814 which would extend TPS for Haitians until 2029.
Sadly, on Tuesday, September 2nd, Pierre Damas Bel, a freshman at Wright State University and a Haitian, was lost to his family. His family and Haitian leaders connect the taking of his own life with the shame and humiliation he felt at wearing an ankle monitor and how it was affecting his life in college.