Bichotte Blasts Caribbean Activist For Disparaging Remarks Against Haitians
Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte (D-Flatbush, Ditmas Park) today demanded an apology from a noted Caribbean activist/political operative and close associate to City Councilmember Jumaane Williams for emailing her and her staff a note containing disparaging remarks against the Haitian community.
Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte
The brouhaha comes over the escalating controversy surrounding the recent designation of the Flatbush/Prospect Park-Lefferts Gardens/East Flatuch corridor as the “Little Caribbean.” Bichotte, who is Haitian-American and a number of other notable Haitian-Americans feel there should be a double designation and part of the corridor should be dubbed “Little Haiti.In a follow-up to the controversy, Ernest Skinner, who heads the Earnest Skinner Political Association Democratic Club, and is the staff photographer for Williams office and a longtime family friend, fired off an email to Bichotte asking when did Haiti stop being part of the Caribbean?
“This is the same insularity which sunk the fledgling Caribbean Federation. Sowing division may be why Haiti has never been able to reach its full potential and why it is considered a Fourth World country despite the noble start it gave to the Independence movement among people of color,” wrote Skinner.
Longtime Civic and Political Activist Ernest Skinner
“In Brooklyn, for many years now there has been TALK of a Little Haiti along lower Nostrand Avenue. What have you Haitians done to advance THAT?” he added.Bichotte replied in a letter back to Skinner yesterday saying she found Skinner’s comments not only highly disrespectful, but ill-informed and she demanded an apology.Bichotte penned back, “The fact of the matter is that there is a “Little Haiti” that has been in the making for decades that covers a wide geographical area including Nostrand Avenue. The Haitian community has accomplished a number of things leading up to the designation of “Little Haiti” such as the:
- street naming of Toussaint L’Ouverture Boulevard on Nostrand Avenue
- annual Toussaint L’Ouverture Symposium and Business Expo (2005)
- Haitian parades down all of Nostrand Avenue (10 years)
- Haitian Flag Day
- Haitian Unity Day (Albany)
- Haitian Selebrayson Week
- Haitian street fairs
- establishment of the Haitian Studies Institute (HSI) (Spring 2015)
- designation of Haitian Day (October 7, 2016)
- passage of a civil rights resolution (New York State)
- introduction of legislation for Haitian Creole-speaking poll workers and translators and for the translation of voting materials into Haitian-Creole
- certification of a number of Haitian-owned businesses as Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises
“As previously stated we acknowledge that Brooklyn is diverse and we do not advocate for “Little Haiti” in opposition to a Little Caribbean designation,” she wrote.
“We support the Caribbean community. We are part of the Caribbean community. In recognition and in support of our heritage we advocated for placing the Haitian Studies Institute at Brooklyn College; not instead of “Little Haiti,” but in continuance of cultivating “Little Haiti’s” foundation.”
Williams, who has Caribbean roots – as does Skinner, clearly sided with Bichotte in the dispute.
“My office is looking forward on working to pursue both an official “Little Caribbean and a “Little Haiti. The words in the letter were hurtful; I understand the community’s concern and I certainly hope an apology is forthcoming, and deservedly so,” said Williams.
Sources in the greater Flatbush community were split with one saying Bichotte often is unduly divisive, and it hurts her as an elected official and the community at large.
“Rodneyse has had a long history of being combative for no reason, beginning after she was first elected when went on Talkline Communications [a Jewish radio show] and said these Jews didn’t vote for me,” said a prominent Flatbush activist.
But another political source said is doesn’t make sense for Skinner insulting the Haitian community considering the viscous discrimination against Haitians in the area dating back to the 1980s and 1990s, when many alleged openly that it was Haitian-American spreading AIDS.
The source said there are much bigger issues to confront such as affordable housing and the increase of gentrification along the corridor.
“It doesn’t make sense for people to be insulting each other’s culture. Let’s just have both designations and move on,” said the source.
Little Caribbean v Little Haiti – Not So Simple To Designate A Cultural Area In Flatbush
FLATBUSH JUNCTION – This morning around 10:30 am about two dozen neighbors, activists and members of the press gathered at the Flatbush Junction to hear a large swath of Flatbush, East Flatbush, and PLG be pronounced – Little Caribbean. The driving force behind this designation is Shelley Worrell of CaribBEING, a local cultural institution that started as Flatbush Film Festival back in 2010 and has grown to include creating experiences and curating exhibitions.Creating the Little Caribbean seems like a natural next step in her efforts to preserve and celebrate Caribbean food, culture and small businesses in the area, home to one of the largest populations of Caribbean immigrants in the country.
The organizers hope that the designation of the Little Caribbean will help create jobs and attract tourists to the area:The footprint runs along Flatbush Avenue from Empire to Nostrand Avenues (known as the Junction), includes the commercial area along Church Avenue from Ocean Avenue to New York Avenue, and Nostrand Avenue from Empire to Flatbush Avenues. All in all – about 5 miles of commercial corridors.
The initiative has received support from the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), NYC & Company, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and the Flatbush Nostrand Junction BID, Worrell said in a press release.“I’m proud to be a longtime supporter of the Little Caribbean, and I’m even prouder that this designation is coming to fruition,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams in a statement. “Brooklyn is the epicenter of the Caribbean Diaspora, and this branding promises to have an incalculable value on the economic development and cultural pride of Flatbush and East Flatbush.”There was music, of course.The event took place a few blocks south of Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte’s office, however, she was not there. Local council members Mathieu Eugene and Jumanee Williams that represent the area were also nowhere to be seen.
Assemblymember Bichotte issued a feisty press release last night, saying that the designation of “Little Caribbean” was premature, and did not have a wide community support:“For example, no meetings were held with the local elected officials including Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, State Senator Kevin Parker, Assemblymember N. Nick Perry, Assemblymember Diana Richardson, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte, Councilmember Mathieu Eugene, and District Leaders Josue Pierre, Melba Brown, and Cory Provost, as well as the honorable Dr. Roy Hastick, who came up with the original idea. In addition, the local Business Improvement Districts (BIDS) are not entirely on board including the Flatbush and Church Avenue BIDs as well as Crown Heights merchants for similar reasons.The support of the idea for the designation is welcome, but it has to be discussed with local community members. ”The issue at heart? Designation for a “Little Haiti.” The Haitian community supports the designation of both “Little Haiti” and “Little Caribbean,” said Assemblymember Bichotte, who is the first Haitian-American to be elected to the State Legislature from New York City. “However, we were taken aback by the lack of engagement that has been shown to many of the elected officials and key stakeholders within the Haitian community throughout the overall process.”“Haiti has had a unique position within the Caribbean — it is in the Caribbean, but not of the Caribbean. Although Haiti is geographically part of the Caribbean, the Haitian community has historically been singled out and excluded as a member of the greater Caribbean community, which is why Haitians have had to build separate communities and organizations in order to survive,” she said.“Little Haiti” exists, de facto, because when Haitians first moved to the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, they were isolated in part due to speaking French-Creole versus English, which is spoken by other Caribbean countries.“Old wounds have been opened as the voices of the community and elected officials have not been engaged throughout the designation process. Although, the journey to unity has come a long way between island politics and differences, having both designations would be ideal to acknowledge the Haitian people’s struggle,” Assembly woman noted.By: By Liena Zagare - September 28, 2017