‘We must hold space for joy.' In Boston, Haitian Flag Day brings optimism amid Trump immigration threats
It's a day, several people said, about freedom. It is a word imbued with special meaning for Haitians, who proudly talk about how their country was the first Black-led republic in the world after it won independence from European colonialism and slavery.
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'The idea of freedom is important to us, and always has been,' said Edwing Guilloteau, one of the chaperones with the Pathfinder drum corps, a Seventh-Day Adventist youth group that led the way in the parade, beating out a clean, jaunty march. 'Ever since Haiti began, we've been fighting to be recognized as free people.'
Mirguenne Jean with Immigrant Family Services Institute singing a traditional song called, 'Carole Demesmin,' as a Haitian flag waves over her before the start of the Haitian Parade celebrating Haitian Flag Day in Mattapan Square on May 18, 2025.
Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
Speakers and attendees alike spoke with a mix of uncertainty and optimism — about their home country and their adopted one, where the current Trump administration is seeking to deport increasing numbers of immigrants and
Many of those who fled Haiti did so because of the severe political turmoil and widespread violence that has flourished there since a 2010 earthquake devastated and destabilized the country. It's never fully recovered; violent gangs continue to have significant sway, and its president was assassinated in 2021.
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But the Haitian people persist, said
'We must hold space for joy,' she told a crowd, saying they'll work for a better Haiti that they can one day return to. 'We are here, we are strong, and we are getting even stronger.'
And then she referred to President Trump's harsh immigration rhetoric, which has at times has at times specifically targeted Haitians.
'No matter what this administration says about our people, we know who we are,' she said.
In August, the federal government
Standing on a ridge in Harambee Park on Sunday, 38-year-old Joseph Wilson noted the uncertainty facing the Haitian diaspora.
The Dorchester resident is here legally under TPS for now, but it's unclear what the future might bring for him and his six-month-old child.
'The news isn't very good,' he said, adding that he arrived in 2021. 'We don't know what's going to happen. ICE is everywhere.'
He gestured around the park at people chowing down and chatting. 'But today's very calm.'
Tamisha Civil, the Haitian Parade Grand Marshal, cutting a ribbon while flanked by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, and Councilor Julia Mejia at the start of the Haitian Day Parade celebrating Haitian Flag Day in Mattapan Square on May 18, 2025.
Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
Greater Boston is home to more than 50,000 Haitian-born residents, according to a
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In recent years, the region has become a
who make their way north, often living for years in other countries like Brazil and Chile before continuing on to the United States.
Tamisha Civil, the marshal of Sunday's parade, said there need to be more services available in the U.S. But locally, many people are on their side.
'Our parents came here seeking the American dream for the next generation,' she said, addressing the many young people in the crowd. 'You are all the next generation.'
Sean Cotter can be reached at
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