The Haitian American

04/25/2025

Make a splash in water conservation by making small changes in our daily lives, like fixing leaks, using water-efficient appliances, and turning off the tap while brushing our teeth. Remember, ‘Water’s Worth It, Every Drop, Every Day.’

04/25/2025

: Just hours after we reported that Haitian music artist and producer filed a copyright lawsuit over his 2002 song 'Je Vais', singer Joé Dwèt Filé took to Instagram to respond.⁠
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Earlier today, at around 6:10 PM EDT, Dwèt Filé posted on his Stories: ⁠“You know music, I know it too, let’s meet in court,” followed by a laughing emoji. Later in the day, he followed up with another message aimed at fans: “Thanks to all the community who send me messages. I see! No one will stop us from taking our cultural music as far as we can.”⁠
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While Dwèt Filé’s remarks do not directly address the case's specifics, they signal his willingness to fight the lawsuit while affirming his commitment to spreading Haitian music worldwide.⁠
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Filed on April 22, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the suit names Joé Dwèt Filé (real name Joe Gilles), Nigerian superstar Damini Ogulu (Burna Boy), and several music entities, including Atlantic Records Group and Universal Music Publishing France. Rouzier, joined by B.E. Relations LLC, alleges that the songs "4 Kampe" and "4 Kampe II" allegedly copied elements of his 2002 track "Je Vais" without permission.⁠
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According to court documents, Rouzier first noticed similarities between Je Vais and 4 Kampe, released in October 2024. He sent a cease-and-desist letter to Dwèt Filé, who allegedly admitted to using the material. Despite this, Dwèt Filé released 4 Kampe II featuring Burna Boy on March 28, 2025, which Rouzier claims also copies his original work.⁠
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Rouzier claims both artists knowingly benefited from the alleged infringement, leading to financial losses. He and B.E. Relations LLC seek damages, legal fees, a court order to stop further use of the material, and destruction of all infringing content. They have requested a jury trial.⁠
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The lawsuit has sparked online debate, especially within the Haitian music community. Burna Boy has not yet commented publicly on the lawsuit.⁠
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04/25/2025

Boise State running back lit up the with more than just his potential as a top pick; he made a bold fashion and cultural statement. The star showed up in a pair of custom black Crocs bedazzled with crystals, proudly displaying the Haitian flag on one wrist and the American flag on the other.⁠ 🇭🇹🏈🇺🇸
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Jeanty, who finished second to in the Trophy race, was seen walking into Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for the NFL Draft Red Carpet in a bold floral-patterned suit and the now-viral crystal-covered Crocs.⁠
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The Boise State tailback is among the most highly sought-after prospects in this year’s draft class, ranked No. 3 on USA TODAY’s big board. The 5-foot-9 Texas native is expected to be selected in the top 10 of Thursday’s opening round, with projections as high as No.5.
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Jeanty’s footwear is part of an exclusive Crocs x Swarovski collaboration launching May 6. The collection reimagines two of the brand’s most iconic silhouettes, the Classic Clog and the Bae Clog, with a luxury twist. Jeanty wore a custom black version of the Classic Clog explicitly designed for his red carpet appearance.⁠
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Jeanty fused fashion, comfort, and cultural pride with his look, celebrating his individuality and honoring his Haitian-American heritage as he stepped confidently into his NFL future. Good Luck Tonight, Ashton!! ⁠
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Source: , ⁠

04/25/2025

🇭🇹 ⁠
State standout made history on Thursday night, becoming the highest-drafted running back in seven years as the Las Vegas selected him sixth overall in the 2025 . Jeanty, a athlete, is expected to bring explosive playmaking and cultural pride to the Raiders' backfield.⁠
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Jeanty capped off a record-breaking college career with 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns in his final season, numbers that ranked among the best in NCAA history. His performance earned First-Team All-American honors, the Doak Walker Award, and a runner-up finish in Trophy voting. ⁠
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Jeanty’s draft night ensemble turned heads: a bold floral-patterned suit paired with custom black Crocs adorned with Swarovski crystals. He proudly displayed the Haitian flag on one wrist and the American flag on the other, celebrating his heritage and individuality. ⁠
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Back in Texas, Jeanty's high school team at Lone Star High School in Frisco erupted with pride upon his selection. Coaches and former teammates gathered to watch the draft, cheering as their former star achieved his NFL dream.
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With his selection, Jeanty became the highest-drafted running back since Saquon Barkley in 2018. The Raiders anticipate that Jeanty will immediately boost their offense, offering stability and explosive playmaking ability. ⁠
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As Jeanty steps into his professional career, he carries with him the hopes of his community and the pride of his heritage. He is poised to make a significant impact in the NFL. Let's Go!!!!!! ⁠
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Source: ⁠

04/25/2025

- Haiti in Crisis: Culture, Conflict & Calls for Justice - https://mailchi.mp/lunionsuite.com/april-21-27-4884478

04/25/2025

Boise State running back lit up the with more than just his potential as a top pick; he made a bold fashion and cultural statement. The star showed up in a pair of custom black Crocs bedazzled with crystals, proudly displaying the Haitian flag on one wrist and the American flag on the other.⁠ 🇭🇹🏈🇺🇸
⁠
Jeanty, who finished second to in the Trophy race, was seen walking into Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for the NFL Draft Red Carpet in a bold floral-patterned suit and the now-viral crystal-covered Crocs.⁠
⁠
The Boise State tailback is among the most highly sought-after prospects in this year’s draft class, ranked No. 3 on USA TODAY’s big board. The 5-foot-9 Texas native is expected to be selected in the top 10 of Thursday’s opening round, with projections as high as No.5.
⁠
Jeanty’s footwear is part of an exclusive Crocs x Swarovski collaboration launching May 6. The collection reimagines two of the brand’s most iconic silhouettes, the Classic Clog and the Bae Clog, with a luxury twist. Jeanty wore a custom black version of the Classic Clog explicitly designed for his red carpet appearance.⁠
⁠
Jeanty fused fashion, comfort, and cultural pride with his look, celebrating his individuality and honoring his Haitian-American heritage as he stepped confidently into his NFL future. Good Luck Tonight, Ashton!! ⁠
⁠
Source: , ⁠

04/24/2025

- Haitian music legend has filed a lawsuit against French-Haitian singer Joe Gilles, known professionally as Joé Dwèt Filé, Nigerian artist Damini Ogulu, popularly known as , and several companies, including Atlantic Records Group and Universal Music Publishing France. April 22, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, alleges that Dwèt Filé’s songs 4 Kampe and 4 Kampe II allegedly used parts of Rouzier’s 2002 song Je Vais without permission.

According to court documents, Rouzier discovered similarities between 4 Kampe, released in October 2024, and his earlier work. He sent a cease-and-desist letter, and Dwèt Filé reportedly admitted to using the material. Despite this, Dwèt Filé collaborated with Burna Boy on 4 Kampe II, released March 28, 2025, which Rouzier claims further copies Je Vais, including the lyric “Chérie, ou sou sa kampe” (“Darling, let’s do this in the standing position”). The lawsuit accuses Burna Boy of knowing about the issue but proceeding with the remix, causing Rouzier financial and reputational harm.

Earlier today, at around 6:10 PM EDT, Joé Dwèt Filé responded on his social media stories, writing, “You know music, I know it too, let’s meet in court,” followed by a laughing emoji. Burna Boy has not publicly commented on the lawsuit.

Rouzier, joined by B.E. Relations LLC, is seeking damages, legal fees, and an injunction to stop the use of his music in both songs. They also request the destruction of infringing materials and a jury trial. The case has sparked debates online, with some fans on X criticizing the artists involved.

With 4 Kampe amassing over 80 million streams, the case’s outcome could set a legal precedent. The allegations remain unproven and are pending court proceedings.

04/24/2025

As edges closer to total collapse under gang control, a top U.S. diplomat at the United Nations warned that America cannot continue footing the bill alone for the international response. Dorothy Camille Shea, the interim chargé d’affaires for the U.S. mission at the UN, urged other countries to increase their contributions to the multinational effort to restore order in Haiti, a country now facing one of the hemisphere’s worst humanitarian disasters.

The remarks came during a high-stakes UN Security Council meeting on Monday, reported by the , where global representatives confronted the deepening crisis. Shea emphasized that the U.S. has already committed over $600 million to back the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. Still, rising costs and minimal results have raised concerns about sustainability.

remains on the verge of complete gang control, and despite mounting global concern, the mission remains under-resourced and far from its targeted deployment numbers. According to UN officials, nearly 1,100 people were killed in just February and March, part of over 1,700 deaths attributed to armed gang violence this year alone. The surge in attacks has shuttered schools, crippled healthcare access, and displaced more than a million people.

Maria Isabel Salvador, the UN Secretary General’s special representative in Haiti, told the Council that even previously unaffected neighborhoods in the capital are now under siege. As the violence spreads to regions beyond the western departments, Salvador warned the international community that Haiti is "approaching a point of no return."

Kenya, which leads the multinational mission, reported that fewer than 40% of the planned 2,500 personnel have been deployed. Kenya’s security minister, Monica Juma, noted that hundreds of officers are ready but remain grounded due to a lack of equipment and funding. Voluntary contributions to the UN trust fund total just $110 million, far short of the mission's operational needs.

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04/24/2025

"In a crisis-wracked nation where hospitals were hurting even before U.S. aid freezes earlier this year and gangs torched or gutted many medical facilities, the University Hospital of Mirebalais was among the last still standing.

With solar-power, 300-plus beds and a network of U.S. doctors and experts in global health, the 205,000-square foot state-of-the-art facility provided free cancer care to women and children. It allowed renal patients in northern and central Haiti to access free dialysis treatments without risking their lives passing through gang controlled roads to Port-au-Prince. And it had boasting rights as the only place in the entire Caribbean where conjoined twins were ever separated."
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article304902171.html =cpyhttps://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article304902171.html

‘It really stood as a symbol of the Haitian potential; what we could realize as a nation if we came together and put our minds to it.’

04/24/2025

In a devastating blow to Haiti’s collapsing healthcare system, the University Hospital of , once considered the country's most advanced and vital medical facility, has been forced to shut its doors indefinitely due to escalating gang violence in the region.

According to , the 205,000-square-foot facility, known in French as l’Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais, was a rare beacon of hope in a nation plagued by crisis. Founded through the efforts of the late Dr. and his organization, Partners In Health, the hospital offered services that were otherwise inaccessible to Haiti’s rural poor. With over 300 beds, solar power, and a dedicated team of U.S.-based physicians, the hospital provided free cancer treatments, renal care, and even accomplished the only separation of conjoined twins in the Caribbean.

But that hope dimmed this month when armed gangs stormed the central Haitian city of Mirebalais, ransacked nearby facilities, and took control of the area. As violence intensified, the hospital evacuated staff and patients and confirmed it would remain closed “until further notice” due to the deteriorating security situation.

“The hospital was a symbol of what Haitians could achieve with the right support,” said Dr. Henri Ford, a Haitian-born physician and dean of the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. In 2015, Ford led a groundbreaking operation at the hospital to separate twin girls conjoined at the abdomen.

Since the beginning of the year, Haiti’s fragile medical system has been under siege. Gangs have torched clinics, looted supplies, and turned medical sites into operational bases. In Mirebalais, solar panels, medical equipment, and medications were stolen.

The violence was orchestrated by members of the 400 Mawozo and Canaan gangs, key players in the Viv Ansanm coalition that now controls nearly all of metropolitan . These same gangs launched a coordinated assault on March 31, freeing over 500 inmates from the Mirebalais prison and killing dozens, including members of Haiti’s security forces and local militias.

04/24/2025

The has deported dozens of pregnant women, new mothers, and children back to , intensifying its clampdown on undocumented migration.

According to Dominican officials, 135 women and children were detained at an immigration holding center earlier this week before being transported across the border to Haiti.

The deportations coincide with the enforcement of a new immigration policy introduced under President ’s administration. The measure mandates public hospital staff under the National Health Service (SNS) to request patients’ identification, proof of employment, and legal residency. Immigration officers are now stationed in 33 hospitals to assist in verifying patient documentation, facilities where the majority of births involving non-citizens reportedly occur.

Authorities claim the women and children were treated respectfully and deported only after being medically cleared and discharged from hospital care. Officials described the transport as safe and conducted with dignity.

However, human rights organizations and healthcare advocates are pushing back. The Dominican Medical Association posted on Instagram, warning that such enforcement tactics could endanger patients who require urgent medical assistance. Amnesty International echoed the concern, arguing that the policy undermines the right to health, safety, and privacy, particularly for vulnerable groups. “These individuals face immediate deportation after receiving care,” Amnesty stated, “discouraging pregnant women, children, and survivors of violence from seeking essential treatment.”

The Dominican government insists that no one will be denied care under the policy, but fears of deportation already influence decisions around seeking medical help. Over the last six months, Dominican immigration authorities have expelled more than 180,000 people to , where communities continue to grapple with extreme gang violence, crumbling infrastructure, and widespread displacement.

Haiti’s fragile healthcare system is also deteriorating. The University Hospital of Mirebalais, one of the country’s largest, was recently forced to evacuate amid violent gang attacks in the area. Buildings in the town were reportedly set ablaze, further threatening access to medical care, according to Partners In Health, which operates the hospital.

UN envoy María Isabel recently warned that Haiti is approaching collapse. “Without urgent and coordinated international action,” she said, “the violence will intensify, and Haiti may reach a point of no return.”

04/23/2025

Bring the Caribbean to your kitchen.

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04/23/2025

made headlines this week after reportedly covering two months' rent for an entire Florida housing project, again showing love to the community that helped shape him. But it was a surprise reunion in his old neighborhood that brought one of the most heartfelt moments of the week.⁠
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In a now-viral video, Kodak reconnected with his childhood babysitter, who spoke life into him and offered a quiet prayer, creating a rare and emotional glimpse into the man behind the music. 🇭🇹⁠
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🎥 .chris⁠

04/23/2025

Good morning family! What’s for breakfast?

04/23/2025

graced a church this past Sunday with a powerful gospel performance, with the congregation singing along and filled with spiritual energy. The legendary artist took the stage alongside the church choir, performing Haitian gospel songs that deeply resonated with the attendees.

Churchgoers took to social media to share the beautiful moment, capturing the heartfelt connection between Wyclef and the community. This performance was significant, given that Wyclef’s father was a pastor, and the influence of faith and music has always been a core part of his life.

For Wyclef, this experience was a return to his roots, reflecting his strong bond with his Haitian heritage and the religious values instilled by his father. This special moment highlights why Wyclef Jean remains one of the most influential artists of his generation. He seamlessly blends his music, culture, and spirituality.

🎥 Bradpitt, Labellejojo12 (TikTok)

04/23/2025

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04/22/2025

"I’m a Jamaican mother raising a Jamaican-Haitian child."👏😆⁠
🎥 🇯🇲🇭🇹 ⁠

04/22/2025

Wyclef Jean graced a church this past Sunday with a powerful gospel performance, with the congregation singing along and filled with spiritual energy. The legendary artist took the stage alongside the church choir, performing Haitian gospel songs that deeply resonated with the attendees. 🇭🇹🙏🏾

Adding even more meaning to the moment, his sister, artist and humanitarian , revealed that this was the very church their father built, a decisive full-circle moment for the Haitian-American icon.

Churchgoers took to social media to share the beautiful moment, capturing the heartfelt connection between Wyclef and the community. This performance was significant, given that Wyclef’s father was a pastor, and the influence of faith and music has always been a core part of his life.

For Wyclef, this experience was a return to his roots, reflecting his strong bond with his Haitian heritage and the religious values instilled by his father.

🎥 Bradpitt, Labellejojo12 (TikTok)