John Legend, Al Sharpton, Wyclef Jean condemn Trump For Racist Stand On Haiti
- US President Joe Biden Also Blasts Trump for False Claims about Haitians
By Joseph Guyler C. Delva
Haitian-Caribbean News Network
Tues, Sept. 17, 2024
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (HCNN)- Numerous US and Haitian personalities have expressed disgust with former president Donald Trump spreading rumours about Haitians stealing and eating people's pets in Springfield, Ohio; a claim debunked by city officials and other credible voices denouncing an evil maneuver, as crucial US elections near.
Several politicians, activists and world-renowned stars - such as John Legend, Wyclef Jean, Rev. Al Sharpton, Garcelle Beauvais - have blasted Trump and his republican allies for fabricating what they call "racist lies" about the haitian community.
Famous American singer John R. Stephens (better known by his artist name John Legend), who's a native of Springfield, praised Haitian migrants for the needed contribution they bring to the local workforce.
"Nobody's eating cats, nobody's eating dogs. We all just want to live and flourish and raise our families in a healthy and safe environment," John Legend said in a recorded video released over the past couple of days.
"How about we love one another?
I grew up in a Christian tradition which said to love our neighbor as we love ourselves and treat strangers as though they might be Christ," said the American singer, author of the hit song 'All Of Me'.
"How about we adopt that ethos when we talk about immigrants moving to our communities and don't spread hateful, xenophobic, racist lies about them," John Legend stated.
Former republican president and current presidential candidate, Donald Trump, said in a Sept. 10 debate and he keeps repeating what his critics have called a blunt lie.
"In Springfield, they are eating the dogs, the people that came in, they are eating the cats. They are eating the pets of the people that live there," said Donald Trump, adding "this is what is happening in the country and this is a shame! "
Springfield city manager, Bryan Heck, has called the claims unfounded. However, Trump has continued to further spread the lies.
"People on television said my dog was taken and used for food. Maybe that's a good thing to say for a city manager," Trump doubled down, insisting that "a lot of towns don't want to talk about it because they're so embarrased by it.
WYCLEF JEAN, GARCELLE BEAUVAIS, MIAMI HEAT, REV. AL SHARPTON, JOE BIDEN REACT
Another wellknown artist, Wyclef Jean, has criticized the anti-Haitian comments calling them crazy.
"On behalf of Haitian Americans, I ask that we stop these racist messages and accusations.We need to respect one another and vote based on policies and facts, not crazy talk," said Wyclef Jean.
The Haitian grammy-award winning star said "we need to shake hands with one another and be thankful we are part of an America for all."
In a statement the US basketball team the Miami Heat said: "The Miami Heat staff, like Miami itself, is a diverse and brilliant mix of vibrant cultures, including many members of our Haitian community. The false narrative surrounding them is hurtful and offensive and has sadly made innocent people targets of hateful speech and physical threats".
Famous US activist, Rev. Al Sharpton, said: "There's genuine concern about where this could go including some violence, when you're telling people from a former president of the United States giving credibility to this outright lie, this hallucination that there are Haitian immigrants eating people's pets."
Al Sharpton said: "When they say "Haitian immigrants are eating your animals, your pets, your cats, your dogs. You're setting up for somebody to do something that is horrific and worse, at best you're setting up for a racist situation for Haitian Americans."
Haitian-American movie actor, Garcelle Beauvais, said : "Staying silent in the face of Racism and hate is something I refuse to do. Over the past week, the lies that have been spewed about the Haitian community, my community, have been disgusting, deeply hurtful and dangerous."
"Now this is not about politics, it's about humanity. We must condenm this kind of hatred, this kind of racism for anyone.
I've always been a proud haitian immigrant coming to America, working hard," said Beauvais who played alongside Eddie Murphy in 'Coming to America'.
" I'll not sit by and let people talk about my community in any way they want for their own gain.The power we have is the power to vote, to register and vote and stop this madness, this chaos," Garcelle Beauvais concluded.
US president Joe Biden has also weighed in. " I want to take a moment to say something like so many americans, like Karine (Jean-Pierre), as you point out, a proud Haitian-American -- part of a community that's under attack in our country right now."
"It's simply wrong. There's no place in America (for that kind of rhetoric). This has to stop, what he is doing. It has to stop!".
Biden was talking to repotters in front of his press secretary, Haitian-American Karine Jean-Pierre.
Scores of Haitians and Haitian-Americans marched in Florida over the past few days.
In Springfield, non-haitian citizens pour into Haitian-owned restaurants to consume haitian foods as a way to show suport to the haitian community, according media reports.
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Article written by Joseph Guyler C. Delva
For the Haitian-Caribbean News Network (HCNN)
E-mail: delvahaiti@gmail.com
Tel: +509 3445 3535
Or +509 4635 4545 only on whatsApp
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