LITTLE HAITI, Fla. – Serge Toussaint has been working on a stunning mural for the past five days, inspired by the recent crisis at the US-Mexico border.
The images of Haitians in strife, ripped from the headlines.
“I had to find me a wall to express, to make people feel that this is not the way we should be treated,” he said. “You can see this man is struggling, he doesn’t know if he’s going to make it out to shore. But he’ll let his son know don’t worry I got you.”
He continued to describe the story being told by his artwork.
“After not drowning, then you make it to shore, and this is how you’re treated. He’s holding food; he doesn’t let go. That’s a sign of being hungry.
“You see red tears from the map of Texas because this is where this happened. This man is from Haiti, never been to USA, but he has a dream, hat and shirt, USA. Before he even gets here, he knows he’s going to the land of freedom.”
Finally, Toussaint added, “I love the United States of America. It made me the man I am today. At the same time my people deserve to have better treatment.”
The building on which the mural is painted is located on North Miami Avenue and 62nd Street in Little Haiti.
It wasn’t an easy canvas to secure, even though it’s a familiar corner for Toussaint.
In fact, permission to paint came with one condition.
“He told me the only way to do it is I had to paint the whole building, I had to take every single graffiti off,” Toussaint said. “Then I got the good call. Yea you could do that.”
The mural now acts as a cathartic release for an artist who lets his screams out through his hands.
“I want to let it out. I want to express,” he said through tears. “I really want the world to know what they’re doing to my people, that’s when I know I’m done. This is not done yet.”