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The following article is from BostonHaitian.com [2].

On the sunny Sunday afternoon of May 18, 2008, hundreds marched - and thousands more looked on - as the eighth annual Haitian American Unity Parade made its way from Mattapan Square up Blue Hill Avenue to Franklin Field in Dorchester [an area of Boston].

Dressed in the traditional colors of their country, parents and children sang and danced through the neighborhood alongside cars draped in the Haitian flag.

Several Boston-based organizations, such as the Association of Haitian Women in Boston (AFAB) and the Mattapan Community Health Center- also marched
along with the crowd.

Numerous leaders, such as state reps. Marie St. Fleur and Linda Dorcena Forry, made personal appearances while city councillors Maureen Feeney and Michael Flaherty demonstrated their support with ‘Happy Heritage Month' banners.

"It was a tremendous turnout this year, I'm proud to see how much our tradition has grown," said Wilner Auguste, founder of Haitians Americans United, which organizes the parade. "This is a patriotic and cultural occasion for all of us - not only the Haitian community-but for everyone who knows what it means to be proud of your roots and inspired by your country."

Haiti native Mirelande Gaston-Kelly says she takes her two children to the parade every year to educate them on their culture and encourage pride in their roots.

"We live in Newton where you can hardly find Haitian residents let alone Haitian peers in their school," said Gaston-Kelly. "My daughter, Niomie, actually tries to hide the fact that she is Haitian from her friends - like she's ashamed of it. Which hurts me. It's sad when any child is ashamed of who they are. But when she comes to
these parades, its different- you can see the pride in her eyes."

"I want to teach my kids to love their roots," continued Gaston-Kelly. "They come and they dance to the music, they see the different traditional fashions and they wave they flag. They get to enjoy who they are and that's what I want to teach them. The parade works for that. It's a fun way to reach out to the youth and reminisce with the elders."

Mercedes Poulard, 18, who recently moved from Haiti to Boston, says she attended the parade for the first time on Sunday and was surprised by the diversity of the crowd.

"I'm not sure what I expected to see, but I didn't think there would so many different cultures and religions coming together for the Haitian community like that. To me it felt like a statement. A promise that America is growing."

Sunday's festivities came following the 13th annual flag raising ceremony hosted on Friday May 16 at Boston's City Hall Plaza.

The annual Haitian Heritage Month celebrations, which originated in Boston, are now vastly popular in states such as Florida, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Source: bostonhaitian.com [3]

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