For the last few years, we have observed the rapid development of several Caribbean businesses and cultural organizations in Boston, providing a variety of services ranging from tropical food stores to cargo services, travel agencies, beauty salons, community service civic associations and others. There are nearly 200 Caribbean churches and temples within the greater Boston area. The Caribbean community leaders have promoted a better understanding among the nationals of the Caribbean region through their radio programs and their newspapers. Recently, The Boston Connection Magazine, the largest Caribbean publication in the Boston area, created The Caribbean Community Web Site located at www.caribbeancommunity.com, to facilitate the communication between the Caribbean community throughout the United States and their homeland. Certainly the different Caribbean groups residing in Massachusetts do not agree on every issue, more importantly though, they have found a common ground to work together for a collective interest. The Caribbean islanders are pursuing the dream of building a powerful Caribbean community in Massachusetts that is politically strong and economically prosperous.

Among the most popular of the Caribbean organizations are Unity Sports and Cultural Club on Dunbar St. in Dorchester, where Caribbean people meet to play games, dance to the Caribbean beat, discuss political and social issues and enjoy savory tropical food; the Caribbean Cultural Center on Blue Hill Ave., focuses on promoting the Caribbean culture as well; the Caribbean Carnival is the largest cultural event in Boston, attracting close to half a million Caribbean people from the New England area, New York and Canada; the Caribbean Foundation of Boston serves the community of Roxbury and Dorchester , providing job training and assistance to new immigrants and the Caribbean Connection International, Inc. organizes the Annual Caribbean Community Recognition Awards to honor Caribbean and others who have made a distinguished contribution to the advancement of the Caribbean community. CCI, Inc. also provides assistance in creating and developing grass roots community organizations. While these organizations are serving the Caribbean community at large, each Caribbean country represented in the Commonwealth has their distinctive organizations. There are countless Haitian organizations but the most active are: the Haitian Nurses Association, the Haitian Women's Association of Boston, and the Haitian American Political Action Committee. The Guyana Friends Association, the Caribbean Basin Magazine and the Caribbean Band Leaders Association to mention only a few organizations created by people from other Caribbean islands.

This organizational structure is significant evidence of a proud and unified community, where an entire group of people are working together toward accomplishing a dream.

Despite its contribution to the economy and the culture of the city, the Caribbean community is still underestimated by the political establishment. Ever since the departure of Officer Yves Dambreville from the position of Caribbean Liaison about six years ago, the Caribbean community has never had a legitimate representation in the Boston Mayor's office. Roberto Eduardo, also known as Bob Edwards, who served as the Caribbean Liaison for the past six years, is a Latino but he managed to pass for a Caribbean because of his resemblance and his ties to the Haitian community. The Caribbean community seemed to be comfortable with Bob because of his open mind and his ability to work with different groups of people and to learn. If Bob was not an excellent politician, he was a good friend. Bob was always visible in this community; his loyalty to the Mayor was exceptional.

Last year, the Caribbean community welcomed the Mayor's initiative consisting of creating the Office of New Bostonians. Although the concept of New Bostonians has not been clearly defined, working with Minister Cheng Tan, the director of this very idle entity, appeared to be an enjoyable experience. She was believed to be an excellent community organizer. Shortly after, the Reverend stepped into a politic of exclusion that proved the contrary. The news of a series of secret meetings with a few Haitians with the purpose of boosting the appointment of a strange man named Eno Mondesir to the position of Caribbean Liaison, is seen as an attempt to divide the Haitian as well as the Caribbean community. A few Caribbean leaders refused to believe that this action was intentional, and others believed that she was perhaps manipulated by these nostalgic Haitians in their eagerness to earn political credence regardless the consequences.

Even though in the past, the Caribbean Liaison position was a disservice to this community because the liaison had constituted a source of conflict between the Mayor's office and the Caribbean community instead of a bridge., the Caribbean community still expressed interest in having a liaison to the Mayor's office. More recently, without a liaison Everyone in this community agrees the relationship between the Mayor's office and the Caribbean community has been considerably ameliorated. This year, for the first time since he was elected, our Mayor Tom Menino attended the Caribbean Community Recognition Awards; a gesture that most Caribbean community leaders consider a reconciliation message. The Mayor's seat among the other Boston elected leaders in this annual event was finally filled.

Certainly the appointment of an individual will not affect the popularity of the Mayor in our community. "We think Tommy is fine and we will continue to work with him," said Ray Stuart.

The disturbing information about the process of appointing Eno Mondesir as a "Caribbean Liaison" is a slap to the community but the Mayor is not to be held responsible for this mistake. However, the caribbean leaders declared that this proposed Caribbean Liaison will not be welcome in any Caribbean community event because he has never participated in any of their events before.

Shirley Shillingford, the president of the Massachusetts Caribbean Carnival stated that she will not work with anyone who has not been involved in the Caribbean community. Mrs. Shillingford added that Eno Mondesir does not fit to this position, because he has a serious communication problem and he is not politically astute. The board members of the Haitian-American Political Action Committee, a Boston-based political organization involved in voter registration, citizenship classes, civic education and political campaign fundraising, have decided to take distance from the Office of New Bostonians should this appointment becomes effective. Mark Daniel, the spokesperson for this organization refused to make any comment about Mr. Mondesir but he strongly believes that to protect the unity of the Caribbean community no one should work with Mr. Mondesir.

Mondesir is a known member of Lafanmi Lavalasse Haitian pro-socialist Party and the unfortunate candidate in the 1991 Haiti's general elections. His membership to this political party restricts him from participating in certain events or dealing openly with other political sectors. As an example, Mondesir has never participated in the Caribbean Community Recognition Awards because this event is open to everyone no matter your political affiliation.

Reverend Cheng Tan affirmed that the choice of Eno Mondesir is based on the fact that the Haitian community is organized but the other Caribbean groups are not. This statement is totally false. In Boston most of the Haitian organizations are limited to Haitians. And the Caribbean organizations are open to every Caribbean islander no matter which island you came from. The most active Haitian organizations are the Haitian AIDS Project, the Haitian Women's Association of Boston (AFAB) and HAPHI, which is a private non-profit contract agency that is conducting business with other government agencies. The Haitian Multi-Service Center is no longer a Haitian agency, it is owned and managed by Catholic Charities. But we are also aware of many "one man" organizations in the Haitian community. Working together seems to be my Haitian fellow's biggest challenge. Even the Haitian political parties are mostly a one-man affair. Haiti is the only country that counts nearly one thousand political parties, almost everyone involved in politics has his own party. Only Lafanmi, the political party led by former president Jean Bertrand Aristide, is open to the public.

It is a serious problem, we can achieve personal success but we cannot make a positive contribution to the society with such a selfish attitude; working together as a community is the key to social and political empowerment. Surely, Haitians represent the largest Caribbean group in Boston, but this fact should not put any other group at a disadvantage when it comes to a decision making process that concerns the Caribbean community at large. The Caribbean community should remain one and undivided and our dream of a unified black community shall become a reality. Several Black leaders including State Senator Dianne Wilkerson, State Representative Gloria Fox, Minister Don Muhammad of the Nation of Islam are encouraging Unity among the caribbeans. Unfortunately, the Office of New Bostonians is intentionally trying to separate the Haitian community from the Caribbean community by its politics of exclusion. I am not aware of too many Haitians that will tolerate this disgraceful action. We are all people of color, most of us are sons and daughters of former African slaves, Haitian, Jamaican, Caribbean or African-American; we are all subject to the same prejudices, we have the same problems, and the same perspectives. We must live and work together.

Viva, the Caribbean community forever united. ¨