On July 7, 2021, Jovenel Moïse, the Haitian president, was the target of an assassination orchestrated by individuals from multiple countries. This event left many Haitians in both Haiti and the United States shocked as to how an assassination of this magnitude could’ve happened. Club members of the university’s chapter of Neg Kreyol expressed how they felt.

“The news has the Haitian community in a state of shock and fear,” said Elie Merisier, the treasurer of the chapter. While the club was founded 13 years ago, the university chapter was established in 2018 and its members carry on its main purpose of “building Haitian men as leaders.”

Mazlanovich Joseph, the brother-to-brother social coordinator, and Nathanael Clerveaux-Jean, the white noise director who is in charge of the fundraising for their all-white annual gala called White Noise, are also members of the chapter.

When asked about their reactions to the news of the death, Merisier, Joseph, and Clerveaux-Jean expressed feeling shocked. “As the president, he should be one of the most protected individuals in the country, and for such a breach to just occur, it was very alarming,” Joseph said.

When asked how best the U.S. could support Haiti, Clerveaux-Jean said, “their military strategies and their criminal investigation aids [could] help because Haiti doesn’t have the best criminal justice system” and that humanitarian aid would also help bring order to the country. Merisier also expressed that the U.S. could help assist with humanitarian efforts, such as donations.

The three men expressed that it is important that other communities within Florida Atlantic University understand the current situation. They all agreed that it is important to know about this event so that it doesn’t repeat itself in other countries and to bring awareness to Haiti so it isn’t forgotten. As an executive board, they are currently planning a public forum to help educate others. The details of this event are pending.

Even though Haiti is in the midst of a horrible event, Merisier “wants the community to know that there is still hope for Haiti” and Joseph shared a famous Haitian proverb, “lespwa fèw viv,” meaning hope makes one live.

Rayna Cohen is a contributing writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected].