Overview: Haitian advocates and Senate allies are adding pressure to pass legislation extending Temporary Protected Status for Haitians through 2027. Organizers are holding small group and one-on-one meetings with Republican senators this week, even as the Supreme Court weighs the future of the immigration program. Immigrant advocates are pushing Senate leaders to fast-track legislation that would extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians through 2027, amid pushback from some lawmakers who view the effort as “backdoor amnesty” and the legal uncertainty from the U.S. Supreme Court’s pending decision on the immigration program. At the center of advancing H.R. 1689 in the upper Congressional chamber is Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. He plans to use Rule 14, which allows legislation to bypass committee review, to place the measure directly on the Senate calendar for a potential vote. He is also calling on advocates and constituents to contact lawmakers across party lines....

Overview: Haiti marked the 223rd anniversary of its blue-and-red flag on May 18 with official ceremonies, cultural exhibitions and public demonstrations reflecting both national pride and ongoing political tensions. The government organized events at the National Palace in Champ de Mars, highlighting military and student participation while avoiding traditional street parades due to gang-fueled insecurity in key areas, including the road to Arcahaie, the flag’s historic birthplace. PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti marked the 223rd anniversary of its blue-and-red flag May 18 with celebrations across the country as officials, schoolchildren, marching bands and community groups gathered in cities including Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haitien and Leogane for official ceremonies, parades, cultural activities and public tribute honoring Haiti’s independence history.  The commemoration honors the creation of the national flag at the Congress of Arcahaie in 1803 and serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made in Haiti’s struggle for independence. May 18 also marks Youth and...

Overview: Haitian Flag Day commemorates the creation of Haiti’s bicolore, the blue and red flag that marks Haiti’s independence from France in 1803. Celebrated every May 18, a national holiday in Haiti, the flag honors the revolutionary struggle that led to the world’s first free Black republic. It endures as a symbol of unity, resilience and cultural pride throughout the Diaspora. Editor’s note: This story is part of our “Today in History” series, where The Haitian Times revisits pivotal moments that shaped Haiti and its diaspora. Every May 18, Haitians across the globe pause to celebrate more than a national symbol. Haitian Flag Day commemorates the creation of the blue and red banner that emerged during Haiti’s fight for independence, a revolution that reshaped world history and established the first free Black republic in 1804. The origins of Haitian Flag Day date back to May 18, 1803, during the Congress...

Overview: Brooklyn-born Haitian artist Jennica Drice uses blue textile prints, family objects and migration memories in “Between Us,” an exhibit exploring Haitian diaspora life between Haiti and New York. BROOKLYN, N.Y. — In artist Jennica Drice’s recent exhibit exploring her Haitian American upbringing, a living room photograph welcomes visitors with mementos that were once fixtures in her life in Brooklyn: Western Union money transfer receipts, a calling card pinned into blue-hued textile collages, a cyanotype print of the Brooklyn Bridge looking over the Coney Island Hospital — where Drice was born. “It is my life living in a hyphenated place,” Drice said during the closing day of the exhibit.  “The story of being home and not home,” she explained in an interview. “Although I was born in Brooklyn, there is a hyphenated life between Haiti and Brooklyn. Not totally Haitian. Not totally American.” Whether that makes her feel ‘Haitian American’...

Overview: A roundup of five Haitian Flag Day events happening in New York, Florida and Massachusetts, featuring Haitian cuisine, music, culture and civic engagement. Haitian Flag Day celebrations are taking place across the United States today bringing together food, music, history and community. From Haitian Restaurant Week in New York to live konpa performances in Florida, this year’s events reflect the many ways the Haitian Diaspora celebrates culture and identity. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly cooking event, a panel discussion on Haiti’s historical influence or a late-night concert featuring some of Haitian music’s biggest names, here are five ways to celebrate Haitian Flag Day.

Overview: Motorcyclists with food delivery bags over their backs have become a common sight in Cap-Haïtien as online orders increase in the city. TapTap Now, a food delivery application operating there since late 2022, has been one of the most instrumental forces behind the surge in food delivery services. CAP-HAÏTIEN — In the past year or so, coming home from work has been exhilarating for Milca Saint-Louis. Some afternoons, before she even reaches her front door in Cap-Haïtien, a TapTap Now delivery driver is already waiting outside with one of her favorite dishes from Lakay Bar Restaurant: kibi, an appetizer made with wheat and ground beef. Instead of driving 15 minutes across the city and waiting nearly an hour for her order, Saint-Louis places it from her phone while still at work. Though food delivery has long been common elsewhere in the world, the service is only recently becoming part...