How To Help Haitians At The Texas Boarder

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In this blog post I discuss how to help Haitians at the Texas Boarder, while also addressing the BLM movement and the decline in support of black related issues, as a result of June in 2020.

Please note that there is mention of “white people” in a format used by BIPOC culture that aims to bring awareness to black issues. Know that if the things mentioned in the text do not apply to you, please acknowledge that and take the information given as you see fit.

The topics discussed are not fun for me to speak about as I am sure they are not fun for you to have to read about, but as I have privilege as a mixed BIPOC I pledged my allegiance to a cause and this is how I feel I can contribute.

How To Help Haitians At the Texas Boarder

America has its problems….. just like any other country in the world, and the plight of many seems to be divided down the middle of being either liberal or conservative, so much so, that it can boarder on extremism and blind loyalty to one’s voting party instead of the loyalty to an individual’s human rights.

The Pattern Of Ally ship

Some people preach about being “Christians” or “religious” or “spiritual” in some capacity, but little truth is found in how some (mind you, not all) embrace those who are actually in need.

Some people preach about being anti-racist but stay silent until an issue is pressed by the media for more than two weeks, and then……then…….maybe the issue is worth speaking on or addressing…..because it hasn’t died down yet.

That is not to say that people don’t practice what they preach online or in their real lives (and it truly is none of our business), but when comparing the plight of refuges to women’s rights (enter Texas’ abortion ban)…..every white female I follow or know personally has something to say……and on the day, the minute and the hour that it happened (I have had these observations for an entire lifetime and I didn’t need the internet to see it).

White women have an entire thoughtform ready for their social media or quick friendly chat IRL and guess what, these are often the same white influencers and people who claim that they need “to study more before they speak on something.”

Which, kudos to you for taking the time to admit that we all need to research more before speaking on something (I have made that mistake and it sucks when it’s made), but that excuse is usually followed by a fizzling out of them not speaking on the subject at all.

Talk about a social justice cliff hanger, in which no one has the guts to just say, “I get it, but it doesn’t actually affect me, so I don’t really feel like I have to speak on it.”

Or, “I have an issue with confrontation, so I would rather not subject myself to others criticisms if I do speak on it.”

(Enter in any excuse/reason here)

The end result I think everyone wants (maybe I am wrong?) is that people just be transparent instead of passive with their own motives for doing what they do when entering into the role of ally ship.

Ally ship isn’t a fun and cute sorority you sign up for; it exists because people’s very existence and rights hang in the balance of you saying something or not saying something.

Are you an ally because you believe in what a movement stands for? Or are you doing something because it’s trendy to seem aligned with the right things?

I am not telling you your motives.

I am asking you, because I think most of the black community actually isn’t surprised in the end results of white engagement with black people’s rights and plights after June of 2020.

I am talking globally.

The Decline In Support Of BLM

In fact, support of the BLM movement went from “61% to 48% from last May,” according to an article by Forbes, which means BIPOC are not just imagining slights towards black people’s plight in America or abroad; it is a very real and measured reality and it shows in situations like the one with Haitians that are currently at the Texas Boarder and Haitians who need aide for their last natural disaster.

The saying, “All Lives Matter” is of no importance until Black Lives, BIPOC lives and marginalized lives matter.

We have a long way to go.

Losing Steam For Equality

If you lost steam for the end goal of global equality in the last year due to a pandemic that everyone else is also dealing with……..I guess the question is why…… and that is a question you’ll have to answer on your own and no one can, or will do it for you.

Reflecting on this statistic about the decline in support for BLM and essentially, global equality, perhaps will allow you to look at the reasons why on your own, in your own head, with your own biases and your own perspectives…… and you can keep it to yourself and show up in the world as your boundaries allow.

Racial Peers

I have been told many times by white people that they aren’t surprised that people are racists because they hear conversations black people don’t hear.

When I am told this I wonder why certain types of white people give off the vibe that they would want to engage in those types of conversations to begin with………and so yes, white people do have more tough conversations to have with their racial peers and that is not something I, or any BIPOC person can help you with.

If I, as a black person am being told that you, as a white person are spoken to as if you’re in some racial secret club…….we do have a bigger issue at hand.

Instead of white people pledging that “they’ll do better,” some could have chosen to admit that they likely were “not committed to anti-racist behavior and public engagement, but in the moment, it sounded good and they were inspired.”

I think some prefer the term “anti-racist” because it means that you’re always learning and therefore, kind of lets people put it in the back of their mind like a rainy day checklist of things to aspire to do…… in the future, when in reality, it’s actually a commitment that you decide to make every day of your life…….forever (kind of like brushing your teeth).

Acknowledged Privilege

When we relate this mass wave of anti-racism speech back to June of 2020, most white people admitted they had privilege and vowed to wield it better and a year or so later, many of us black people and BIPOC are calling your bluff……… and that’s not on us to be ashamed of and we should be able to ask……..what happened?

It is sad that many people can only see people’s humanity as much as they see themselves; but that is actually what we are seeing within the white supremacists gaze of westernized culture.

The truth is, that when brown and black people are being abused and there is proof (like you have currently at the Texas boarder), you have people like Jen Psaki from the Biden administration saying “we need more context.”

Really? You need more context to see an officer on a horse, with a whip, trying to intimidate men and children and the image looks like an image straight outta 1798’s Slaves in America?

Yes, if you look closely at footage, you will see a child trying to get out of the way of an officer on a horse with a whip and the Biden administration claiming that they “need to know the context” before really condemning it further.

The Biden administration also decided on engaging with the media before they had even discussed a plan of action on how to deal with the abuses Haitians were facing at the Texas boarder, which honestly did the situation no justice and stalled an appropriate call to action in the public’s view.

Arguments Against Migrants

The arguments one hears against migrants is that they should stay in their own country, or enter legally….and this argument is a weak one……

Truth is, If you are not a Native American and you live on American soil currently, your own ancestors did not stay in their own country (many seeking a better life) and just because you feel entitled and indoctrinated into a society, it doesn’t make your continental residence a precedence over anyone else’s who is looking to relocate.

Migrants are also allowed to seek asylum and seek due process to get the proper paperwork and proceeding going; if the government of a country decides to act with integrity within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; which if you refer to Article 14, states that people have

“the right to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution.”

Haiti’s Current Situation

Why is no one asking themselves why people try to enter a country seemingly illegally?

What is happening currently in Haiti is that their country is undergoing political unrest, their countries President was assassinated in July and they just had a huge natural disaster that no one wants to bring attention to……..oh, and they are also suffering from the Pandemic, just like the rest of us…….

Per the New York Times, “After centuries of alternating neglect and repression, Haitians have learned to expect little from the political class claiming to represent them. They know they have only themselves to depend on for survival, many said.”

It doesn’t sound ideal and it doesn’t sound like a fun free ride; to pack what you can take and travel to one of the most developed and racist countries in the world, just so you can chance a “maybe” into said country.  

It sounds dangerous and heartbreaking.

Government And Human Rights

Another argument is that “our government can’t even take care of its own people, how can it take care of others.”

This is another fallacy that is often spoken about by anti-asylum seekers……. and this argument lacks real clarity.

You see, why is it that our government cannot take care of its own people?

Maybe it’s time to look at how the government can take care of its own people and decides not to, by getting friendly with corporations and letting those same corporations drive policies in our country, which in turn dictates where spending and financing and investing goes.  

The below quotation is from businessinsider.com, from an article that gives a brief history of corporations and lobbying and how today, legislation is harder to pass because of lobbyists involvement; making change in policies, politics and how money is spent…..a lot harder to change.

“But while the crowded political environment may make legislation harder to pass in general, it also makes the legislation that does pass more complicated (more side bargains). Large companies are more likely to have the resources and know-how to push for technocratic tweaks to margins, usually out of public view.” – Excerpt from Lee Drutman via Business Insider

So, maybe instead of saying, “our government can’t help its own people” we just understand that we as citizens aren’t holding them accountable (with what little power we do have) and take the idea of lobbyists to task, due to their think tanks that are funded in a way most citizens would not even recognize……i.e.: using think tanks as a lobbyist entity that is being funded by a specific company, who then works with legislators to drive new laws for their own cause.

If we want our government to treat us better, we need to look at how they neglect their own citizens willfully by their legal practices………. and we need to not blame migrants.

How To Help Haitians As Migrants & in Haiti

With all of that being said, let’s look at how we can help Haitian refugee’s and Haitians still back in Haiti.

Call your local representatives at (202) 224-3121 and ask that they demand the Texas boarder patrol be brought to more humane dealings and ask them to also allow these asylum seekers due process and proper lodging and supplies as they wait.

If funds allow, please consider donating to the Val Verde Boarder Humanitarian Coalition., and Black Freedom Factory, Per Kens5.com, they work directly with the migrants.

If you’re in the Houston area you can volunteer with Houston Haitians United, per Khou.com.

To help Haitians back in Haiti who are still dealing with their last natural disaster, please consider donating to Hope for Haiti, as well as many others listed in this article from NYmag.com

This blog has been brought to you by another week in the pandemic.

Talk to you soon.

-Nikita