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New Rochelle proclaims May 18 Haitian Flag Day, honors local Haitian students
Summary
City officials and community leaders marked the second annual Haitian Flag Day ceremony in New Rochelle, reading a mayoral proclamation recognizing May 18 as Haitian Flag Day and honoring Haitian students across elementary, secondary and college levels while a pastor gave a historical overview of Haiti.
The City of New Rochelle formally recognized May 18 as Haitian Flag Day and celebrated Haitian Heritage Month at a second annual Haitian Flag Day event held in the City Hall rotunda, Mayor Yadira Ramos Herbert said at the ceremony.
Mayor Yadira Ramos Herbert said the city was “just really excited to celebrate the Haitian community and its contributions,” and called the observance a time to “honor the resilience, heritage, and achievements of the Haitian community.” The mayor said she was joined by Councilman David Peters, Councilmember Astrid, and Austin Loyier, and that a representative from State Senator Shelley Mayer’s office had provided resource flyers for residents.
The mayor’s remarks led into a formal proclamation read at the event that acknowledged “the many Haitian students who have reached significant academic milestones this year, demonstrating perseverance, discipline, and cultural pride.” The proclamation text—reading in the mayor’s name—encouraged students to “dream big” and included the Haitian motto rendered in English as “Unity makes strength.”
City Manager Lehi Landos and other officials presented certificates of appreciation for students from several local schools. Officials named honorees from Webster Elementary, Alba Leonard Middle School, New Rochelle High School and a number of college graduates; examples named at the ceremony included Erza Basquin (Webster), Allison Joseph (Alba Leonard), Matthew Saville (New Rochelle High School, University at Albany), and students headed to Marist College, Morgan State, Molloy University, SUNY Buffalo, Cornell University and University at Buffalo. Organizers said not all students could attend because of competing events and other commitments.
Pastor Jude Auguste, identified at the ceremony as from a local Seventh-day Adventist congregation, delivered a historical overview of Haiti. He summarized Haiti’s precolonial Indigenous populations, the arrival of Columbus and later French colonialism, the transatlantic slave trade, and the Haitian Revolution, invoking figures such as Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines in his remarks. Pastor Auguste opened one section of his talk with a historical aphorism: “A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.”
Organizers also noted community resources available through a representative of State Senator Shelley Mayer’s office; flyers and a QR code were distributed with information on housing and legal help. The event closed with a poem performance by community member Giselle Bruno and refreshments in the rotunda.
The ceremony combined ceremonial recognition, student awards, community resources and a historical presentation; no formal votes or policy decisions were taken during the program.
The city’s second annual Haitian Flag Day celebration in New Rochelle follows local efforts to mark cultural heritage months and recognize community contributions through proclamations and student acknowledgments.
