{"id":3473,"date":"2010-01-18T10:32:51","date_gmt":"2010-01-18T15:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/harlemcondolife.com\/?p=3473"},"modified":"2010-09-03T18:34:30","modified_gmt":"2010-09-03T22:34:30","slug":"harlem-to-haiti-you-are-not-alone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/harlemcondolife.com\/?p=3473","title":{"rendered":"Harlem To Haiti – You Are Not Alone"},"content":{"rendered":"

By HarlemGuy<\/p>\n

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Credit: Damon Winter \/ New York Times<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

What’s happened in Haiti is worse than we can ever know.\u00a0 That is clear by the evolving footage on all media outlets including CNN (the Haiti EarthQuake Home Page)<\/a> and the New York Times (must see picture gallery).<\/a> For instance last night’s 60 Minutes episode <\/a>provided a sobering glimpse of the state of health care delivery and aid distribution in a historically troubled nation that has been decimated by this latest calamity.\u00a0\u00a0 The screams of pain which I had not been hearing in previous media brought me to tears.<\/p>\n

The coverage makes it clear perhaps for the first time for many Americans and others that Haiti is more than a mere collection of facts and figures about poverty, illiteracy, corruption, etc.\u00a0 It is a real place.\u00a0 A real country.\u00a0\u00a0One that millions call home.\u00a0 With an incredible history<\/a> as well summarized by\u00a0Fareed Zakaria<\/a> of Newsweek fame on his show GPS<\/a> this weekend.\u00a0 For instance Haiti is the first and only nation in the world founded by Slaves having successfully revolted against their French slave masters and defeating Napoleon – it’s been referred to as the Vietnam War of its time.\u00a0\u00a0 The fight for freedom and its aftermath is well worth noting today Martin Luther King Jr. Day<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most importantly the coverage makes it clear that Haitians are resilient, strong and loving.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Being of Haitian decent I am now more proud than ever of my heritage.\u00a0 There is not one day when I don’t think of my father who passed away some years back and his manner.\u00a0\u00a0 No matter what was thrown at him (and much was) he was always posed, serene, introspective.\u00a0Almost majestic.\u00a0 That vision has often given me strength in hard times.\u00a0 Though none so daunting as what he faced.\u00a0 Or the Haitian survivors now face.\u00a0 And from which we know from Katrina will take years to \u201crecover\u201d, to the extent that is possible in calamities of epic proportions.<\/p>\n

Many New Yorkers and now many worldwide know that Haitians have found homes in the Burroughs.\u00a0 Brooklyn is often cited.\u00a0 But what many don’t appreciate is Haiti’s connect to Harlem.<\/p>\n

When I first moved to Harlem I initially confused the diversity of skin tone, accents, dress, etc as African.\u00a0\u00a0But not until I really stopped to look, listen and interact with the community\u00a0did I come to realize that Harlem is full of Haitians who live, own businesses, and shop here.\u00a0 I have found this to be particular true along 116th\u00a0between\u00a07th and 8th Avenues.\u00a0\u00a0 Many of these people may have family and friends in Haiti and our thoughts go out to them.<\/p>\n

So if you live in Harlem please take a moment if you have not yet done so to learn more about the people who live and work in it.\u00a0 Let them know you care.\u00a0 If they are a merchant spend some money.\u00a0 Let them know you care on a personal level.\u00a0 Doing so is part and parcel of the spirit that is Harlem.\u00a0 A large diverse community of people who care for one another, and their collective futures.<\/p>\n

If you know of a business in Harlem that is owned and operated in Harlem, please let us and our readers know so that we can let them know that we are here for them.\u00a0 That they are not alone.<\/p>\n

The following Michael Jackson Classic You Are Not Alone came to me as I wrapped up this post.\u00a0\u00a0 Click here<\/a> to hear\u00a0on iTunes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By HarlemGuy What’s happened in Haiti is worse than we can ever know.\u00a0 That is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":832535,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[124718155],"tags":[291676,55758,1127608,3169,51094,124718158,249,170597,217536,37970920],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/harlemcondolife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3473"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/harlemcondolife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/harlemcondolife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/harlemcondolife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/harlemcondolife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3473"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"http:\/\/harlemcondolife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3473\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8427,"href":"http:\/\/harlemcondolife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3473\/revisions\/8427"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/harlemcondolife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/832535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/harlemcondolife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/harlemcondolife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/harlemcondolife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}