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Miami Herald
12-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Homeowners in Little Haiti are aging. Here's what the next generation is facing
People who grew up in Little Haiti in its heyday have a lot of the same memories: women carrying baskets on their heads with products to sell, Rara bands filling the Friday night air with music, the smell of Haitian cuisine seeping from the windows. The culture was everywhere. But the once-vibrant community that welcomed wave after wave of Haitian immigrants has changed so much in the past decade that the remaining homeowners in the community that are of Haitian descent wonder if their dwindling numbers can keep the culture alive. Institutions like the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, Chef Creole and Libreri Mapou still serve as cultural anchors for the neighborhood, which was officially named 'Little Haiti' in 2016, but for Haitians who own homes in the area, it feels like 'a ghost town.' Ashley Toussaint, whose father had lived in Little Haiti since 1988, said the neighborhood has become a shell of itself as he's seen the area overrun by gentrification. Slowly but surely, the many Haitian faces Toussaint used to see began to vanish. He points to the forced eviction of residents at the former Sabal Palm housing project that began in the 1990s as a turning point. Once filled with Haitian immigrants, it was later transformed into Design Place. 'It changed from being a Haitian community to a white and Latino community,' he said of the complex. 'That was parallel to what was happening in Wynwood. I felt like that was the realization that Little Haiti was no longer…new people were coming to the neighborhood en masse.' Toussiant is one of a shrinking number of homeowners living in Little Haiti. According to the Miami-Dade County property appraiser's office, out of the 7,269 dwelling units in the area — including single-family homes, condos, duplex, apartments and public housing — there are only 736 homesteaded properties, making the owner-occupancy rate to about 10 percent. Most of those owner-occupied dwellings are among the 1,017 single-family homes in Little Haiti, of which 478 have a homestead exemption. When the Little Haiti Revitalization Trust, in conjunction with FIU, revealed a draft of the trust's strategic plan, it was found that since 2019, 37 percent of properties purchased in the area were owned by outside investors. The plan also noted that Little Haiti is home to 21,759 residents, of whom 37 percent — about 8,152 — are Haitian-American. And between 2010 and 2023, the neighborhood lost five percent of its population of Haitian descent. RELATED: Little Haiti is changing. Could a strategic plan help preserve its roots? Little Haiti Revitalization Trust CEO Joann Milord said the trust recognizes it's an uphill battle with trying to retain and attract residents. Still, she emphasized the importance of the community to maintain the neighborhood's character. 'It's important to recognize that there is a significant number of Haitians that still live in Little Haiti, and that we need to find a way to not only preserve them, but help them to climb to a higher economic class, either through education, job training and improving the conditions in which they live as well, so that they want to maintain the neighborhood,' she said. Aging homeowners and family assets For Little Haiti homeowners like Toussaint, keeping the property in the family has presented its own set of challenges. Nearly 25 percent of Little Haiti's homeowners are 65 years and older, according to the strategic plan, making the properties both a valuable family asset and a financial burden. Toussaint's father Elisson purchased his home in 1988 and Toussaint became a co-owner of the property in 2017, when the city had it condemned. At that time, the home was declared an unsafe structure and was set for demolition, Toussaint said. He filed a quitclaim deed to add him as an owner of the property, paid the necessary fees to rectify the situation and has maintained it ever since. He's lived in the home since 2019. 'I didn't really inherit so much, I kind of saved it,' he said. Now he's also inherited the job of fending off the deluge of potential buyers of the property. He said he's been offered $250,000 for the home, which he says is worth an estimated $700,000. Like Toussaint, Cassel Paul said he's had to fend off predatory buyers calling to purchase his parents' home, often offering far less than what it's worth. 'I had to finally tell them to stop calling every day, five, six times a week,' he said. ''We want to buy your house'. Listen, my folks own this house. They live here. If they sell you this house, where are they going to live?' The Pauls moved to what is now Little Haiti in 1971, when Paul said the neighborhood was predominantly white and very unwelcoming to Haitians. 'To make that adjustment … all of a sudden you have people not liking you, disliking you just because of who you are. That was a shock. It was a shock to the system,' he said. Paul's 93-year-old father Gaspard lost a house to foreclosure before settling in the current home, which is where he raised his kids. Cassel Paul is determined to protect this family asset, but the fate of the home once his parents are gone has yet to be decided, whether he and siblings sell or keep it. 'This is their home, so we're here. We leave it at that,' he said. Paul pointed to the low wages as part of the reason residents are leaving for more affordable areas, and taking with them the culture that cultivated Little Haiti. According to the trust's strategic plan, 50 percent of Little Haiti's homeowners and 63 percent of renters are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs. 'The bulk of the culture is lost,' Cassel Paul said. 'I listen to folks talk about bringing jobs and more affordable housing to Little Haiti, but affordable housing for who? When you bring in $13 hour jobs, but you're charging thousands of dollars in rent, it doesn't jive.' Getting in on the changes in the area Another challenge homeowners face is the influx of short term and vacation rentals in the area. Airbnb, the short-term vacation rental company, says only one percent of all available housing in Miami-Dade County is listed on their site, but company did not provide data down to the neighborhood level. There are about 415 listings in Little Haiti as of July 11, according to Airbtics, a website which tracks Airbnb listings and analytics. Still, Airbnbs can be profitable for homeowners: The typical host earned an estimated $15,000 in 2024, according to Airbnb. For families like Erica Desinord's that may be the solution to keeping their family's home. When Desinord's grandfather purchased his home in 1988, Little Haiti was still a vibrant neighborhood where she recalled going outside to play. Now, with her grandfather's recent passing, Desinord said the family will turn the property into a short-term rental property. It's a way to honor him, a man ever determined to keep his home. 'Because he always said he worked hard for this, he didn't have an education, all he did was work,' Desinord said. 'This is his home, so we didn't want to sell it and get money.' Desinord said her grandfather had been approached several times about selling his home, but he would always give an emphatic, 'no.' 'So we want to keep that 'no' going.' As new development encroaches upon Little Haiti, the Little Haiti Revitalization Trust, which is set to vote on its drafted strategic plan as early as September, is making efforts to increase homeownership among longtime residents. Their homebuyer and rehab program, which officially launched in June, provides down payment assistance to residents renting in Little Haiti looking to purchase a home or to those desiring to buy a home in Little Haiti. They haven't received one application yet. 'We have to be cognizant of the fact that development is happening in Little Haiti and that it's a force of nature that we cannot stop,' she said. 'However, we have to try to see how it is developed and can be inclusive, and see which role the community that's currently there can be involved in that.' Still, as much as they try to hold onto their family legacies, Desinord, the Pauls and Toussaint, acknowledge that change is inevitable. They simply want a say in those changes. 'Let's be part of the action. Some people want to be enemies of change and then not benefit at all,' Toussaint said. 'I do feel like we still have the power to represent our culture.'
Miami Herald
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
44 percent: Haitian Heritage Month, Miami's Motorcycle Queen, the Six Triple Eight
Shedeur Sanders was projected to be picked within the top two rounds of the NFL Draft. But as days of the NFL Draft wore on, he wound up getting selected as the No. 114 pick in the fifth round for the Cleveland Browns, who'd already drafted a quarterback just ahead of Sanders. There have been criticisms of Sanders' skill, but the conversation has largely focused on the idea that he needed to humble himself before a team could draft him — an ironic stance given how the league has handled player misconduct in the past. There is this idea that Black people must humble themselves to be deserving, despite how great they are. We saw this play out with Kentaji Brown Jackson at her confirmation hearings, who despite her stoicism, endured terse questioning from senators. The concept that a Black person must exude humility is rooted in control, an attempt to put Black people in their proverbial place. Sanders already comes from wealth, which goes without saying given Deion 'Prime Time' Sanders is his daddy and isn't ashamed about who and what he earned. It's indisputable that he was raised with confidence and knows how to take things on the chin, including a stupid prank phone call intended to humiliate him. So, I imagine the younger Sanders getting selected in a lower round was to intentionally decrease his stock and put him in a position where he seemingly has to prove he even deserved the courtesy of being selected. A self-assured young Black man shouldn't be threatening. One thing we could take away from Sanders and his family: Don't let them see you sweat. Despite the intention of humbling him, he showed no signs he was worried and had fun on his livestream with his dad, brother Shilo and the rest of his family. INSIDE THE 305: Little Haiti Cultural Complex's new leader must tackle old challenges Dasha Saintremy has been the Little Haiti Cultural Complex's manager for about three months. She's inherited a mess, including a leaky roof at the Caribbean Marketplace, mold throughout parts of the center and other issues that should have been fixed by the city. Saintremy, a Miami native, spoke to me about her ambitions for the complex and why it needs to be maintained. 'Maintaining our legacy:' Miami's Motorcycle Queen gets a street named in her honor Known as the 'Motorcycle Queen of Miami,' Bessie Stringfield is finally getting her own street in Miami Gardens, not far from where she once lived. 'We're maintaining our legacy and our history despite what anyone else's plans are,' Miami Gardens Councilwoman Michelle C. Powell told the Miami Herald. 'We're going to continue remembering our history and celebrating it and keeping it in the history books, at least through the people of Miami Gardens.' He's almost 90, but he wants to teach North Miami seniors how to use tech When I spoke with Bertie McCulloch, I wasn't sure what to expect. He was sharp as whip, recalled dates and facts just fine and was immersed in technology – something his fellow seniors aren't always too keen on. This week, he passed his knowledge and appreciation of technology onto other seniors who he thought it might benefit. OUTSIDE THE 305: 'Sinners' Is Set in Clarksdale, Where There's No Theater. Locals Are Asking for a Screening. Sinners is Set in Clarksdale, Mississippi, but residents have to make a long trek to a theater to even see it, Capital B reported. One resident set up a campaign to get a screening of the film in the city. Only Black female WWII unit receives Congressional Gold Medal Members of the only Black female WWII unit, The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, received the Congressional Gold Medal earlier this week. The women were depicted in the Tyler Perry movie 'Six Triple Eight,' and had more than 300 descendants and family members of the unit at the ceremony, ABC News reported. The full ceremony can be viewed here. HIGH CULTURE: From cuisine to art shows to Compas Fest: How to celebrate Haitian Heritage Month Haitian Heritage Month is underway in South Florida, where the Haitian community celebrates its culture and the founding of its flag dating back to May 18, 1803. Haiti correspondent Jacqueline Charles compiled a list of events to celebrate throughout the month including, the Miami Haitian Compas Festival and the Running Edge 305 2nd Annual Little Haiti Heritage 5K. The Little Haiti Cultural Complex is also hosting a monthlong series of events. Where does 'The 44 Percent' name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletter's title.
Miami Herald
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Haitian art from the heartland to Miami's Little Haiti
Haitian art has journeyed from Iowa to the walls of Miami's Little Haiti. Titled 'Global Borderless Caribbean XVI: Haiti in the Heartland,' the public art exhibition, is a collaboration of the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, Haitian Cultural Arts Alliance, the Waterloo Center for the Arts in Waterloo, Iowa, and the 'Haitian Arts: A Digital Crossroads' (HADC) project. The exhibition at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex through Saturday, April 19, features reproductions rather than original artworks. 'We didn't display the original artworks because they would be exposed to the elements,' explains Fayola Nicaisse, one of the curators and the chairperson for the Miami-based Haitian Cultural Arts Alliance. 'Instead, we used high-resolution images, which were enlarged for the exhibit. We printed these images, ensuring the collection could be shared without risking damage to the original pieces.' This is the first time the digitized artwork has been presented in this format. They originally came from a significant Haitian art collection at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. 'The Waterloo Center for the Arts Haitian Art collection started in 1977 by a generous donation by Waterloo residents Dr. and Mrs. F. Harold Reuling,' says Chawne Paige, executive director of the arts center. 'This collection has since grown to over 2,000 works and is the largest public collection of Haitian art in the United States, if not the world, outside of Haiti itself.' For the Miami exhibit, 16 digitized artworks pulled from the collection have been selected and showcased on the walls of the Little Haiti Cultural Complex. Paige reflects on the significance of the pieces being shown in an open space, 'Having murals commissioned or displaying art in public spaces removes the potential barriers to seeing the artwork that would require entrance into the galleries of a museum or in our cases that travel expense to come to the Midwest to see these works.' The selection process for the exhibition was a collaborative effort between the different organizers. It involved reviewing thousands of pieces from the Waterloo Center's collection and selecting those that best represented Haitian heritage. 'Our aim was to highlight the lush diversity of aesthetics, art forms, and mediums found in Haitian Art all the while being intentional about the representation of artists across the genders. Master artists alongside artists in the Haitian diaspora and their respective protégé make up WCA's collection,' says Paige. Nicaisse, who spearheaded the outdoor exhibit project, shared that she wanted to showcase a different genre of Haitian art. 'When people think of Caribbean art, they often picture scenic landscapes or beach paintings, but rarely fine art.' Nicaisse's vision was to create a space where Haitian art could take center stage, particularly in Little Haiti, a neighborhood that serves as a cultural hub for the Haitian diaspora. 'When you visit Little Havana, you experience Cuban culture, its food, music, and traditions. The same should apply to Little Haiti,' she contends. The exhibition's title, 'Haiti in the Heartland,' reflects the connection between Haiti and Iowa, where the Waterloo Center for the Arts houses its extensive collection. 'The title was chosen by Dr. Petrouchka Moïse, who played a large part in digitizing the artworks,' says Nicaisse. Moïse, assistant professor at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, is co-lead of the HADC project with Dr. Fredo Rivera, assistant professor of Art History at Grinnell College. During the pandemic, Moïse close to 2,000 art objects from the Waterloo Center were digitized. 'Throughout the project we have partnered with several cultural leaders, institutes and scholars to crowdsource the information needed. Moïse talks about the importance of the HADC project. '(It) will be a benefit to Haitian artists and the global community by giving access to the works of other great Haitian artists that don the walls of institutions and centers across the Diaspora. Viewers will have the ability of learning of the various artforms and techniques that make up Haitian visual culture.' As a cultural institution holding Haitian art and heritage in the American Midwest, the Waterloo Center had an obligation, according to Paige. 'Any institution that has holdings of cultural objects that are not reflective of its constituent communities has a responsibility to share these cultural items with the public,' he says. 'For the Waterloo Center for the Arts, it is an opportunity to broaden the world view of Midwesterners, while also instilling an appreciation of diversity and the global community.' The exhibition at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex also serves as a platform for educating the public about Haitian culture and history. For Nicaisse and Paige, the exhibition's broader goal is not only to showcase art but to combat the misrepresentations and stereotypes that often surround Haiti. Nicaisse recalled how, when she first arrived in the United States, there was a stigma attached to being Haitian. 'I was even advised not to disclose my heritage,' she says. 'That experience fueled my determination to educate others about who we are.' Paige spoke of the erasure of Haiti's accomplishments, especially in the context of American history. 'The oppression and erasure of Haiti's accomplishments long before freedoms were provided to Blacks in America is a nuance of American History that truly needs to be unpacked, yet alone be reflected on by the public,' he explains. 'The American History I was taught as a Black man is very problematic, skewed, simplified and omits large swaths of the narrative of the millions of Africans brought to the Americas.' By bringing these artwork replicas to Little Haiti, the organizers hope to inspire a deeper appreciation for Haiti's contributions to the global cultural landscape. 'Haiti has an incredibly rich culture. While the nation has faced hardships, every downfall presents an opportunity for renewal. This exhibition is part of a broader effort to educate people about our heritage,' says Nicaisse. If you go: WHAT: 'Global Borderless Caribbean XVI: Haiti in the Heartland' WHERE: Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 59th Terrace, Miami WHEN: Through Saturday, April 19 COST: Free INFORMATION: (305) 960-2969 or Little Haiti Cultural Complex is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music and more. Don't miss a story at
