May 18, 2018 marks another momentous flag day in Haitian history!
On this day, Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte unveiled the co-naming of Nostrand Avenue which will now be known as Toussaint L’Ouverture Boulevard! At the corner of Nostrand and Newkirk Avenue, you will now find Toussaint L’Ouverture’s name standing tall and proud.
Bichotte, the first Haitian-American woman elected to office in New York City along with the nonprofit group, Little Haiti BK, came together in an effort to label the historically Haitian district of Brooklyn as the Little Haiti Business and Cultural District. In doing so, the coalition hopes to create a long-lasting legacy despite the impending threat of invasive gentrification.
“The district is designed to help promote Haitian-owned businesses, but also includes proposals to create a Haitian cultural center, re
name streets and erect a monument.” (“In Brooklyn, Push for a Special Haitian District Hits Resistance,” 2018).
According to a recent New York Times interview, members of the Haitian community in Brooklyn and New York State were hoping the City Council will officially designate Little Haiti in May.
The designation, said members of the nonprofit group Little Haiti BK, is a recognition of the cultural role that Haitians have played in the city and the country, and a sign that the area’s Haitian community is coming-of-age.
The resolution would also serve as a formal recognition by the City Council, which organizers hope will make it easier to work with tourism and business improvement officials.
According to Assemblywoman Bichotte Instagram page, they will unveil Jean-Jacques Dessalines Blvd on Rogers ave in August in Little Haiti Brooklyn.
Chicago was founded by a Black man – The first European settler in Chicago, Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable, arrived in the 1770s, married a (native indian) Potawatomi woman, and founded the area’s first trading post. By August 12, 1833, the Town of Chicago was organized with a population of 350.