By Leslie Ovalle
In 1977, after one year in prison for discussing his political beliefs, Jean-Claude Exulien—a secondary school history professor—decided to flee his home in Haiti.
Exulien said that there are times in history when a government cannot be criticized, but he is also quick to remind that as an intellectual and educator, it is impossible to suppress critical discussions.
Exulien fled Haiti during the rule of the dictator “Baby Doc”, or Jean-Claude Duvalier, seeking his own and his family’s safety. He said that if it hadn’t been for Haiti’s suppressive regime many Haitians, including himself, would not have fled the land they feel such patriotism for.
His office in North Miami, decorated with Haitian flags and cultural photographs, is evidence to his love of country.
“I’m a big witness, I would say, of what happened in Haiti during the dictatorship of Francois Duvalier and Jean-Claude Duvalier,” said Exulien, “Haitian intellectuals were obliged to leave the country to save their lives.”
Many Haitians fleeing the regime of the time decided to migrate to Montreal, Canada. This is something that crossed Exulien’s mind, but a summer school teaching opportunity and family here in South Florida is what pushed him to make this city his new home.
“Some friend told me one time ‘it’s not difficult for you, because you used to teach at a higher level.’ I said ‘no it’s not a problem because I love these people, they are my people’. Until today that is my job, to teach them how to write in French, Creole, and English,” explains Exulien.
Knowing Creole, French, English, and Spanish, Exulien embodies the importance of knowing multiple languages in a place as diverse as South Florida.
On his office desk lays an ocean of newspapers—which he refers to as his tools—and in this ocean you can find all four languages. He jokes, although in a serious manner, saying that nowadays if you speak only one language you are handicap.
“Sometimes there are news in El Nuevo Herald or Las Americas and you cannot find the same news in The Herald, for example, so we have to read more than one newspaper and in more than one language,” he said.
Exulien takes education beyond the classroom, besides teaching literacy, history, and anthropology he has a radio show on 1700 AM Radio Mega every Saturday at 11am.
“This is a class, it’s not a radio show,” Exulien said.
His radio segment is 90% Creole and 10% English; where he discusses current events, ideas, and history with his listeners.
A very proud man of his country’s history, he is one of the founders of the Haitian American Historical Society—a non-profit organization seeking the recognition and accuracy of historical events pertaining to Haitians and those of Haitian descent.
In 2007, the organization erected a monument of Les Chasseurs Volontaires de Saint Domingue in Savannah, Gerogia. Les Chasseurs Volontaires de Saint Domingue was a group of Haitian free men who volunteered to fight in The Siege of Savannah on October 9th, 1779 against the British.
“Haitian people died there, in Franklin Square, for the independence of the United States,” said Exulien.
The organization is now working on erecting yet another monument, in St. Augustine, Florida, commemorating General Georges Biassou—a Haitian forefather who fought with Spanish royalists.
Exulien is also the president of the organization Haitian League for Human Rights, INC.
“We created this organization one year ago, because of the situation of [our Haitian] brothers and sisters in Santo Domingo,” said Exulien.
This article was originally published on Rise Miami News.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. Anyone can write for us as long as you are fiercely interested in making the world a better place.
Photo Credits: Leslie Ovalle/ RISE NEWS
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AT&T Disputes Miami Shores PD’s Version Of Station Call Outage
What’s News With This Story:–AT&T disputed the cause of the Miami Shores Police Department (MSPD) inbound call outage.
-AT&T blamed MSPD’s server for the outage while MSPD blamed AT&T’s phone line.
-It is not clear whether the station’s phone system is back to running as it was before the outage.
-Inbound calls to the police station were unable to go through for at least an hour and a half on January 3. The outage could have been longer, however.
-Residents of the village were directed to call 911 or the Miami-Dade PD who would then forward requests for assistance to MSPD.
-A MSPD spokesperson said that it wasn’t the first time the department has lost inbound phone service.
-She also said that the department doesn’t have the budget to get a more sophisticated phone system.
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Residents in Miami Shores were unable to directly reach their police department for at least an hour and a half on Jan. 3, and it’s not entirely clear why.
The Miami Shores Police Department (MSPD) said that AT&T’s phone line went down, causing them to lose connection to inbound phone calls.
But AT&T said that isn’t what happened.
The company blames MSPD’s server for the outage and say there was nothing wrong with their phone line connection.
MSPD sent out a text alert to residents signed up with the Nixle service at 10:53 AM on Jan. 3.
That alert said that inbound phone lines were down at the station and that residents would have to call 911 or the Miami-Dade County Police Department in order for “requests for assistance” to be forward to MSPD.
The next text alert indicating that the phone lines were working again didn’t come until 4:50 PM.
MSPD spokesperson Elizabeth Keeley told RISE NEWS that inbound phone service was only down for around an hour and a half, after the station was notified of the outage by a Miami Shores resident.
Keeley said that MSPD was investigating how long the lines were down in total.
Kelley said that the station implemented a “workaround” that is used as a backup plan in case the analog line goes down.
AT&T didn’t respond to the station’s outage call until earlier today, nearly 48 hours after it was first announced to the Miami Shores community.
But according to a AT&T spokesperson, when one of their technicians responded to the station, he was unable to find anything wrong with their phone line.
INSIDE: The Shocking Conditions That Condemned The Miami Shores Motel
“We sent a tech to the Miami Shores police department this morning,” AT&T spokesperson Kelly Starling said in an email to RISE NEWS today. “The issue the city experienced was with its server, not our network.”
Starling also said that when MSPD’s server went down, their IT department requested AT&T forward its lines until its IT team could fix the problem.
But MSPD spokesperson Elizabeth Keeley said that AT&T is wrong.
“Their information is not correct,” Keeley said. “They can not say who they spoke to. They didn’t speak to the chief. I don’t know how they came to that conclusion.”
Keeley said that AT&T’s analog system was the problem and that the station’s server indicated that it never went down.
When pressed, Keeley could not say whether the station’s phone system was back up and running in the way it was before the outage.
“It is running currently to accept incoming calls in a way that the chief is satisfied with,” Keeley said, while refusing to answer whether inbound calls on the AT&T analog line were now being received.
Keeley said that it wasn’t the first time that the station has lost inbound call service.
When asked why the station has to rely on an AT&T analog phone line for service, she said that it had to do with lack of resources.
“There’s plenty of options, but it all costs money,” Keeley said. “We don’t really have that budget [that Miami-Dade County PD has, for example].”
Keeley said there will not a report on the matter released to the public and that Chief of Police Kevin Lystad was en route to a conference and unable to answer questions about the situation.
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Do People Really Give A Shit About The MLS?
By Jasmin Ouseph
Here’s some breaking news. Sports are a pretty big deal to many people around the world.
Worldwide, football (or soccer, as we Americans have coined it) indisputably ranks as the most popular sport according to numerous sources.
In the United States, however, soccer comes in at a mere fifth place (based off TV ratings and revenue generated by league), preceded by ice hockey, basketball, baseball, and American football.
The premier soccer league in the United States and Canada is Major League Soccer (MLS), sanctioned by the US Soccer Federation, the official governing body of the sport in America.
The mission statement of US Soccer reads, “to make soccer, in all its forms, a preeminent sport in the United States and to continue the development of soccer at all recreational and competitive levels.”
While gridiron football, baseball, and basketball are the preeminent American sports by general consensus, with others like auto-racing and ice hockey being more regional in their popularity, there isn’t a very defining pattern among the MLS’ viewership.
Among fans of the sport in general, opinions on the MLS specifically are mixed. The league is growing popular with young adults especially.
Kenneth Nti, a student at the University of Florida, believes that the MLS has “grown magnanimously from its birth within the nineties” and has the potential to establish a “soccer platform similar to those in Europe or South America.”
Statistically, at least, the MLS is on the rise.
A lot of that potential comes from the attention of international superstars that settle in the MLS upon retiring from Europe. Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard now plays for the LA Galaxy while Premier League and Serie A wonders Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo, respectively, both play for New York City FC.
Others, meanwhile, simply lack an interest in the MLS.
Leon Peter, a student at Nova Southeastern University, finds that although soccer is his favorite sport, he doesn’t pay much attention to the MLS.
“The play is just sloppy, not as clean,” Peter said. “The skill isn’t as apparent.”
It seems others with similar opinions would rather stick to the Premier League, La Liga, and other European tournaments that see more training, more funding, and more resources overall than the MLS does.
The possibility of a home MLS-member club to support would create a great addition to the league’s fan base.
Given the immense popularity of the sport in Latin America, and the rich Latinx presence in South Florida, David Beckham’s supposed proposition for a Miami-based MLS club would likely be met with big interest.
Statistically, at least, the MLS is on the rise.
According to Amy Rosenfeld, a Senior Coordinating Producer for ESPN who oversees all soccer content for the network (including broadcast of the UEFA Champions League, US Soccer games, and MLS), success for the league according to ESPN standards would physically look like higher ratings.
Given that the MLS is barely 20 years old (it was established in 1996, two years after the US first hosted the World Cup), its ratings are looking pretty impressive.
MLS national TV ratings have increased by 18% from the 2014 year average total.
Currently, ESPN2’s broadcasts are averaging 283,000 per game.
With the 2015 MLS Cup match last Sunday, featuring a 2-1 win for the Portland Timbers, ratings were up 4% for ESPN, 40% for Fox Sports and 3% for UniMas.
Soccer is the world’s sport, and it is slowly but surely on its way to becoming a bigger deal in the US.
While European league matches are still drawing on average three times the weekly viewers the MLS gets, that shouldn’t rule out the hope that the MLS will see a growing fan base and greater national interest in the years to come.
Cover Photo Credit: Ryan Knapp/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Correction: 12-9-2015 1:37 AM EST- A previous version of this article had the wrong final score for the MLS Final. The Portland Timbers won 2-1.
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There’s More Going On This Weekend Than Just SOBE Food And Wine (But That’s Cool Too)
This piece was originally published by our partner MIAbites.com and is produced by them.
As 60,000 attendees roll into Miami for the South Beach Wine + Food Festival this week, we pulled together some unofficial events hosted by local restaurants, bars and hot spots for those of you who either didn’t spring for the pricey SOBEWFF tickets or found an event Sold Out.
Come join the throngs on Miami Beach for specialty cocktails, pop up coffee bars, unique dinners, late night parties and food trucks.
Wednesday 2/24- Sunday 2/28
1 Hotel & Homes South Beach on the 1 Rooftop announces beginning this Wednesday, February 24ththe highly anticipated grand opening of its latest culinary expansion – PREY. The hotel welcomes James Beard Foundation Award nominee Chef Bun Lai who will be infusing his sustainable seafood, plant and invasive species-based sushi style with his latest eco-conscience pop-up restaurant. The restaurant will be open to the public from February 24th through April 30th. Many of the items found on the PREY menu are indigenous to Florida and Chef Bun will hunt, dive and forage for all ingredients himself. Prey at The 1 Hotel Rooftop 2341 Collins Ave. Miami Beach, FL
Corso Coffee, an Italian-style coffee shop from premier restaurant and hospitality group LDV Hospitality, will be popping up in the Gale South Beach from Wednesday, February 24th through Sunday, February 28th during the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. The popular espresso spot, with two outposts in New York City as well as Montauk, Atlanta and Puerto Rico, will introduce its signature handcrafted beverages to Miami Beach. Gale South Beach, 1690 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139.
Cecconi’s at Soho House on Miami Beach will be offering a special Happy Hour with $4 cicchetti and $7 cocktails from 4-to-7 Wednesday 2/24 — Saturday 2/27. A special Sol Levante cocktail made with Japanese pear purée will be available in honor of SOBEWFF. Cecconis at SoHo House 4385 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL
Café des Arts Miami in SoFi is offering a Free Truffle Pizza from 6-8 pm during SOBEWFF when you order two glasses of wine. Café des Arts 22 Washington Ave, Miami Beach FL.
Do you like this? Read more awesome restaurant reviews, tips and event listings at MIAbites.com.
Thursday 2/25
The Pubbelly boys and Chef Jose Mendin present Atlanta to Miami with James Beard nominated chef and Atlanta restaurateur, Ford Fry, featuring a “Mamma Ma’am” type affair and “best of” menu culled from his recently opened Italian concept, St. Cecilia. 8 dishes and 4 courses from 6:30 to 9:30 pm $95. Pubbelly 1418 20th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139 (305) 532-7555
Stop by Bagatelle’s sexiest party, Sunset Rendez-vouz: SOBEWFF 2016 Edition from 8pm to midnight for a festive dinner party hosted by Ricardo Ralph Lopez will feature live entertainment and libations of Chateau D’Esclans. Bistro Bagatelle 220 21st St Miami Beach FL305 704 390B
Broken Shaker Chicago joins Broken Shaker Miami for an evening of Midwestern inspired cocktails and eats by Trevor Albers, Scotty LoBianco and Chef Jonathan Meyer. Continue the Chi-Town with dinner next door at 27 Restaurant with Top Chef alum, Sarah Grueneberg. Beginning at 6pm. Broken Shaker at The Freehand 2727 Indian Creek Dr, Miami Beach 305-531-2727
The Surfcomber, is offering their Mediterranean Feast for a second year with Top Chef star and DC chef Mike Isabella along with chefs Jennifer Carroll, and George Pagonis for an al fresco lamb roast that includes Merguez sausage and spit-roasted lamb, saffron roasted lobster, grilled whole local fish warm savory bowls of Bouillabaisse, fresh-baked pita and endless cocktails. 9:30pm-12:30am. $95 pp RSVP: tickets http://www.socialclubatsurfcomber.com/promotions/mediterranean-feast.htm. The Pasture at The Surfcomber, Miami Beach.
Friday 2/26
Nautilus South Beach and Driftwood Room, will be launching a Fun in The Sun Food Truck from 3:30-4:30. Stop by on Friday to see Chef Alex Guarnaschelli behind the window at the Fun in The Sun Food Truck. The food truck that will then be open all weekend offering The Cuban Philly and Fun in The Sun Milkshakes using local Azucar Ice Cream. Beach at Nautilus, a SIXTY Hotel 1825 Collins Ave. Miami Beach Fl.
Friday 2/26 and Saturday 2/27
LDV Hospitality’s Rec Room and Regent Cocktail Club in The Gale South Beach are celebrating South Beach Wine and Food Festival with two parties taking place on Friday, February 26th and Saturday, February 27th. Starting the weekend with a bang on Friday, Feb. 26th, the classic cocktail bar Regent Cocktail Club will host Latin Funk & Electronic Fusion band Elastic Bond.
On Feb. 27th, Rec Room continues the party with “Sweet Talk” on the Gale Rooftop with DJ’s Michelle Leshem of Supermarket Creative and DJ PillowTalk. Spinning a combination of soul, boogie and house music, PillowTalk will take over the ones and twos and keep the SOBEWFF celebration going. Tickets are priced at $20 per person. Included in the price, guests will enjoy a selection of mini desserts by Bravo’s “Best New Restaurant” 2015 winner Dolce Italian. With beautiful views of South Beach, partygoers will dance, mingle, and indulge until late. Gale South Beach 1690 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139.
Saturday 2/27 and Sunday 2/28
The Grdn at 1676 James Ave welcomes MIA Brewing company as they introduce new brews and new can release. Bites by Proper Sausages and Beats by DeRoboter. 5 pm to 2 am. The GrdnMIA 1676 James Ave. Miami Beach Fl.
Saturday 2/27
Dale’s Night Out is the unofficial after-party for SOBEWFF. Beginning at 1 am and continuing into the wee hours of the morn, the event features a special edition of TALDE’s Late Night Noodles with a special menu, Almas caviar and tater tots. Guests can enjoy sounds by DJ Reid Waters and beer and cocktails sponsored by Peroni and Absolut Elyx. The event is open to the public, RSVP required. [email protected]. TALDE Miami Beach, 4041 Collins Avenue Miami Beach FL,
( Information provided by various sources and subject to availability. Please check ahead to confirm details )
The above was produced by MIAbites, one of the leading sources for food news in South Florida. Be sure to visit their website for more great information.
Cover Photo Credit:Nathan Forget/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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