The depth of animosity arising from a few incendiary words is hard to comprehend. Springfield, Ohio, is currently living through a nightmare. The city has been branded by unfounded claims recently. These claims come from former President Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance. Baseless allegations have unleashed a wave of bigotry and fear. Notably, claims that Haitian immigrants are killing and eating pets are part of these allegations. The fallout has been catastrophic: bomb threats, school closures, and a community gripped by anxiety and distrust.

Springfield, Ohio

The recent segment of PBS News Hour featured correspondent William Brangham and Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck. Upon reflection, it is clear that the situation is dire. Over 33 bomb threats have been reported, fueled by nothing more than inflammatory rhetoric. This has led to the local immigrant community living in a state of heightened fear. Brangham’s reporting echoes the voices of those who are suffering. One father is too frightened to be identified. He expressed how something as innocent as biking with his son in the park has become too risky. His fear shows how hateful narratives affect real life. These narratives have turned his everyday life into a continuous cycle of fear.

Bryan Heck openly discussed Springfield’s challenges resulting from national rhetoric. He lamented how the city is now caught in a political maelstrom, struggling against a tide of false claims that distort the reality of their immigrant population. The Haitian residents are not criminals or a burden; they contribute to the local economy and enrich the community they now call home. The irony is striking: those who have come to Springfield in search of a better life are being scapegoated instead.

It pains me to see that bigotry seems to be given a free pass in this situation. Hate groups have capitalized on the misinformation, which has allowed rhetoric previously relegated to the fringes to seep into the mainstream. This past week, Springfield residents found flyers from the KKK labeling Haitian immigrants as “disease-ridden and filthy.” No one should ever feel unsafe in their own community due to identity or race. The presence of such open hate should spur outrage and action, not silence.

While I’ve noticed some pockets of pushback, including televised town meetings where members of the Haitian community, as well as Alden Clark’s family, have voiced their concerns, I struggle to understand why more isn’t being done. Why is Senator J.D. Vance, who represents Ohio, putting the city—and its residents—through this turmoil? It feels disheartening to consider that someone in power would employ such harmful tactics simply for political gain, with little regard for the truth or the people affected.

I also think of Philomene Philostin, a local pastor who runs a grocery store serving the Haitian community. She articulated the frustrating reality of being dehumanized in the midst of personally contributing to Springfield’s cultural tapestry. “Why do they not see the good things the Haitian community has done?” she asked, resonating with the many who feel overshadowed by the noise of hatred. To these families, Springfield has not just been a destination; it has been a hope-filled future built through hard work and community.

The narratives being constructed around Haitian immigrants in Springfield are deliberate, dangerous, and deeply misleading. There are no credible reports of pets being harmed; those assertions have simply been fabricated to foster fear. Health data from Clark County indicates that the influx of Haitian immigrants has not correlated with increased disease or crime; in fact, health officials reported that communicable diseases largely decreased between 2022 and 2023. Vance’s claims about heightened crime have been dismissed as political posturing, leaving residents to wonder why their lives are in turmoil over fabrications.

This isn’t just about Springfield. It’s about how society addresses bigotry at large. How often do we allow lies and stereotypes to dictate our discourse? The danger is exacerbated when no one—neither leadership nor community—stands up to challenge these woefully inaccurate assertions. It’s a reflection of our larger societal issues regarding race, immigration, and compassion.

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As we continue to navigate this crisis, my hope is that the voices of truth and understanding will prevail over hate. We must demand more from our leaders, push back against the tide of misinformation, and work toward fostering an inclusive community where fear and divisiveness have no place. Springfield, a town with so much potential, deserves a future built on unity and respect rather than division and fear. It’s time for everyone to step up, confront these lies head-on, and support the rich diversity that makes our communities strong.

For further reading, check out these links:

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/springfield-ohio-consequences-gop-lies-still-linger-rcna173475

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-life-in-springfield-has-been-disrupted-by-lies-about-its-haitian-community

The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. By highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions, The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives and to participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.

https://stmdailynews.com/the-bridge

STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.

https://stmdailynews.com/

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Nathan H. Dize, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

They’re eating the pets?

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance continues to defend the false claim that migrants in Springfield, Ohio, have been abducting and eating area cats and dogs.

That outlandish idea has been thoroughly debunked since former President Donald Trump repeatedly raised it as an anti-immigrant talking point in the Sept. 12, 2024, presidential debate. Trump never mentioned where the migrants allegedly “eating the pets” came from, but many viewers understood it as a reference to Haitians, a population that Trump has previously degraded.

As debate moderator David Muir stated in his real-time fact check, there is no evidence that any pets in Springfield have been taken or consumed. NPR and other media outlets have also declared the rumor, which began with local right-wing advocates and officials in Springfield decrying the city’s disorganized response to an influx of Haitian migrants in recent years, to be false.

The Republican ticket’s untrue rumors about Haitians in Springfield reflects a long history of prejudice toward Haitians in the United States. As a scholar of Haitian history and literature, I have identified three anti-Haitian ideas prevalent in the United States that will help put the Springfield story into context.

1. The unfitness of Haitians ‘to govern themselves’

In July 1915, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson invaded Haiti under the guise of restoring order and economic stability following the assassination of Haitian President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam.

Five years into what would become a 19-year military occupation, the American diplomat and civil rights leader James Weldon Johnson was sent by the NAACP to investigate the supposed benefits of the occupation. His resounding takeaway: “The United States has failed Haiti.”

In related pieces for The Nation and The Crisis, Johnson chronicled abuses ranging from extra-judicial killings of Haitian citizens – U.S forces killed 15,000 Haitians between 1915 and 1934 – to the harassment and rape of Haitian women. Johnson said the U.S. occupation amounted to nothing more than a belief in the “unfitness of the Haitian people to govern themselves.”

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By undermining Haitian sovereignty, Wilson’s administration had successfully created a justification for seizing control of Haitian banks, rewriting its constitution and importing American Jim Crow-style segregation into the capital city of Port-au-Prince. This was a clearly racist presidential administration that hosted White House screenings of D.W. Griffiths’ anti-Black film “Birth of a Nation,” as historian Yveline Alexis demonstrates in her book “Haiti Fights Back: The Life and Legacy of Charlemagne Péralte.”

“Racism,” Alexis writes, “was at the core of the seizure of Haiti and all interactions with Haitians.”

2. The ‘4H disease’

In June 2017, Trump reportedly “stormed into a meeting” on immigration from Haiti and repeated a slanderous anti-Haitian claim: “They all have AIDS,” he said.

The account, from author Jake Johnston, a senior research associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, shows the then-president repeating a falsehood that has circulated since HIV erupted in the 1980s.

Ever since a number of Haitians fell ill while at a Florida immigrant detention center in June 1982, Haitians became part of what the late public health expert Paul Farmer called the “geography of blame” that linked this highly communicable disease to certain places and people.

The federal government turned a small disease cluster into a migration policy designed to keep Haitians out of the U.S.

Betweeen 1981 and 1991, more than 27,000 Haitian asylum-seekers fleeing Jean-Claude Duvalier’s dictatorship were intercepted off the coast of Florida and detained. The vast majority were repatriated, in part because of a deportation agreement with Duvalier and in part because stopping Haitians at sea was a “screening strategy” to prevent HIV/AIDS from spreading in the U.S.

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The Reagan administration called the virus the “4H disease,” referring to Haitians, hemophiliacs, homosexuals and heroin users. This designation spread harmful lies about four groups, but Haitians were the only nationality singled out as an “at-risk” population for contracting HIV/AIDS.

By the time the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed Haitians from its list of highest-risk groups in 1985, the damage had been done. Haitians in the U.S. were effectively vilified as vectors of a deadly virus.

As a young Haitian man in Port-au-Prince remarked to writer Martha Cooley in 1983, “This 4H thing is just one more way to keep us out.”

3. Haiti’s problems are homegrown

Haiti’s occupation by foreign forces has continued on and off in different forms since the U.S. invasion of 1915.

United Nations troops were stationed there for nearly two decades following the the 2004 ouster of President Jean Bertrand Aristide. After the devastating 2010 earthquake, they were joined by the Red Cross and Oxfam. As all three organizations have since acknowledged, their humanitarian interventions left numerous crises in their wake, including cholera, chronic corruption in rebuilding projects and a market for sexually exploiting young girls.

Still, Haiti has long faced the accusation that its instability is homegrown. It is widely portrayed in the U.S. as a basket-case nation incapable of managing its own affairs. Trump, as president, once dismissed the entire country as a “shithole.”

At present, Haitians are coping with overlapping crises that have U.S. fingerprints.

After President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in July 2021, the Biden administration hand-picked Haiti’s interim prime minister, Ariel Henry, as its new leader. This undemocratic decision was such a resounding failure that in March 2024, Haitian gangs revolted against Henry’s administration, unleashing a wave of gruesome violence that ultimately forced Henry out of office.

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So many catastrophes in Haiti over the past four decades have created an overwhelming sense of insecurity among its people. Many hundreds of thousands have fled the country for the U.S., Dominican Republic, Brazil and beyond.

In July 2024, the Biden administration granted temporary protected status to 500,000 Haitian migrants in the U.S., allowing them to stay in the country, in recognition of the life-threatening conditions back home.

The people Trump insists are “illegal aliens” are in fact authorized U.S. residents from a country buffeted by American meddling in its politics.

A very old pattern

In barking about cats and dogs in Springfield, Trump, Vance and their right-wing supporters are spreading the same kind of anti-Haitian rhetoric that has sown a harmful distrust of Haitian migrants for over a century.

“This is not the first time that we [Haitians] have been the victims of ‘yon kanpay manti,’” said the Ministry of Haitians Living Abroad in a press release following the debate, using the Haitian Creole phrase for “a campaign of lies.”

The result of such misinformation, it added, is “mistreatment, hatred, and misunderstanding in the interest of politics.”

Nathan H. Dize, Assistant Professor of French, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

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This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.

https://stmdailynews.com/

Welcome to The Bridge!

We’re thrilled to announce the premiere of our new podcast, “The Bridge.” This innovative series aims to connect hearts and open minds through powerful personal stories and insightful discussions that bridge gaps in our understanding and strengthen our community ties.

Our very first episode, “Pride and Progress,” invites you to step into the vibrant atmosphere of the Columbus Pride Parade with Jared Kenneth Page, a passionate advocate and beloved member of the LGBTQ+ community. Jared shares his heartfelt journey from the challenges of coming out to the joyful celebrations of Pride, reflecting on how far the community and society have come over the years.

Episode Highlights Include:

• Jared’s Personal Story: From the fear of coming out to finding acceptance and peace.
• Evolution of Pride: Witness the transformation of the Pride Parade from Jared’s first march to today’s inclusive, vibrant celebration.
• Community Impact: Explore how events like Pride foster a supportive environment that champions diversity and acceptance.

The episode goes beyond just recounting experiences—it’s about the profound impact of embracing one’s identity and advocating for collective rights and recognition. Whether you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community or an ally, Jared’s narrative and our discussion on the progression of Pride events will inspire and inform.

When to Listen:
Mark your calendar for the release of “The Bridge” on September 8, 2024 at 8:00 am. Debut starts with the revisit of of Pride Month back in June 2024, this episode promises to be a compelling start to a series that celebrates the strength found in diversity.

How to Listen:
“The Bridge” and STM Daily News Podcast are both available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss this moving kickoff episode and the amazing stories that will follow!

Join us as we explore the bridges that connect us to Jared’s story and the broader narratives woven throughout our communities. Let’s look back on Pride Month with understanding, unity, and joy through the stories that bring us together.

Listen, reflect, and celebrate with us on “The Bridge.” Your journey into deeper community connections starts here!

You can also catch the episode on YouTube: Pride & Progress

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PrideAndProgress #TheBridgePodcast #LGBTQStories

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The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. By highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions, The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives and to participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.

https://stmdailynews.com/category/the-bridge

STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.

https://stmdailynews.com/category/stories-this-moment