MIAMI – Sunday marked the first day of May, and the first day of Haitian Heritage Month.
The community gathered at the Little Haiti Cultural Arts Center to celebrate the rich traditions of the island nation.
It was a mix of political and faith-based leaders, writers, dancers, musicians and much more.
Many of those in attendance were dancing while enjoying live musical performances. Others took time to learn about Haitian history and visit a book fair that was on site.
The motto of the event is “Together we are stronger and together we make things happen.”
With COVID-19 putting the celebrations on pause over the past two years, organizers said on Sunday it had been too long since the last celebration and that this was a fresh start, with many gathering to show their support and love for Haiti.
Some of those in attendance told Local 10 News they wanted to focus on positive things like recognizing the accomplishments of Haitians.
“We look forward to May every year because it’s Haitian cultural month, and in the past few years we haven’t been able to gather, and in Caribbean culture, getting together is so important,” said Little Haiti Festival coordinator MJ Fievre. “We have so much beauty in Haiti and this beauty needs to be celebrated. We need to acknowledge our issues and struggles, but we need to celebrate how beautiful we are as people.”
Organizers said Sunday’s event was just the beginning, as they plan to a hold a number of additional events, not just in May, but throughout the year.
For more information about the Little Haiti Book Festival, click here.