Overview:
Members of the Haitian group in Massachusetts, significantly in Mattapan, gathered at polling stations to forged their votes in assist of Kamala Harris. With Harris’s victory within the state, native leaders expressed optimism concerning the course of the presidency and Congress.
Sandy Zamor-Calixte and her daughter sat exterior of the Morning Star Baptist Church on a heat and sunny election day in Mattapan, Massachusetts. She pulled her daughter tight together with her left arm and flashed a vivid smile at her cellphone’s digicam, taking selfies in entrance of one of many indicators on the polling middle. She was cautious to get her “I voted” sticker within the body.
“Being of Haitian descent, with the ability to vote is a privilege,” she stated. “We ensure that we train our proper.”
With over 80,000 Haitian inhabitants, Massachusetts is residence to one of many largest Haitian populations within the nation. Nearly all of this group is concentrated in Mattapan, a city twenty minutes from downtown Boston.
At two distinguished polling stations within the space, the Haitian group got here out in massive numbers to assist Kamala Harris, who went on to win Massachusetts. Voters steadily filtered out and in at each areas, each held at Baptist church buildings.
“We’re going to come out and we’re going to come out sturdy,” stated Zamor-Calixte, who’s the Chief of Communications and Exterior Affairs on the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Division.
She is the daughter of Haitian immigrants, and stated that Trump’s “lies and disrespectful feedback” about her group have made her resolution relating to the presidential race very simple.
“It’s private for the Haitian group,” she stated.
Arthur Alameda, the President of the Boston Missionary Baptist Community Center (BMBCC), echoed this sentiment and stated that he’s assured that the Democrats will win each the Presidency and an elevated variety of seats in Congress.
A Haitian native, he based the nonprofit group in 2010. The group program transports meals and runs a big meals shelter that’s devoted to serving to the Haitian migrant group within the space.
For now, he has turned his consideration to the election. “I’m on the market with my people knocking on doorways and holding indicators,” he stated.
Russell Holmes, the consultant of Suffolk’s sixth district, was exterior of the church shaking arms and speaking together with his constituents.
He stated that he expects that 90-95% of Mattapan will vote in opposition to Trump within the election, given the big Haitian inhabitants and the way necessary this election is to the Haitian group.
“[Trump] has made it clear that he doesn’t respect them,” he stated.
The Related Press known as the race for Harris at 8:00 p.m.
As of this writing, greater than half of states throughout the nation have closed their polls as voters look forward to the ultimate outcomes of the 2024 elections.