Haitian Community Activists Bid Hello/Goodbye to Educators

Some 200 Haitian community activists and their supporters gathered at Autun’s in Queens Village on Saturday June 11 to celebrate the appointment of Carole Berotte Joseph to the Presidency of Bronx Community College.

According to the announcement released by the City University of New York, “Dr. Berotte Joseph, whose career in higher education spans more than 35 years, has been president of Massachusetts Bay Community College, located in Wellesley Hills, Mass., since 2005. Her appointment as the President of Bronx Community College marks her return to CUNY, where she served as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Hostos Community College in the Bronx after having been a faculty member at City College for over 20 years. Prior to becoming president of MassBay, she was Chief Academic Officer and Dean of Academic Affairs at Dutchess Community College of The State University of New York. A prominent authority in the field of sociolinguistics, she is the co-editor, with professor Arthur Spears of City College, of the groundbreaking book, “The Haitian Creole Language: History, Structure, Use and Education,” which was published last year.”

The event also paid tribute to the work of the Haitian Bilingual Education and Technical Assistance Center (HABETAC) which, along with all the other New York State Funded BETAC, will close its doors on June 30 because of the budget axe.

HABETAC was created in 1993 through an endeavor of the City College of New York (CUNY) under the leadership of Dr. Carole Berotte Joseph, Carmen Perez Hogan at the New York State Education Department, and Haitian community members and educators. Its purpose was to address the unmet educational needs and concerns of Haitian students and their families.

Three retiring Haitian-American educators and school professionals, amongst them Yolène Ambroise, were recognized.

HAUP is delighted to have co-sponsored the event which was held in a festive atmosphere punctuated by performances from Buyu Ambroise and his band,  laughter and dancing to konpa.

Let’s Build HAUP for Our Community – 34 Years of Service

Haitian Americans United for Progress, Inc. (HAUP) embarks this year in building hope for the community it serves with the construction of a new community center in Queens. For thirty-four years HAUP has assisted members of the immigrant community in successfully adapting and thriving through various support services. Join us on Saturday, October 10, 2009 at Antun’s (Queens Village) for an evening of dinner and dancing as we celebrate HAUP, its honorees and its thirty-four years of providing valuable services, resources and hope to the immigrant community at its 34^th Anniversary Dinner Celebration.

For tickets and more information, please call (718)-527-3776.