The “Heart of Haiti” is a series of interviews with Haitian-American professionals who were affected by the tragic earthquake one year ago, yet continue to be relentless in their pursuit to have the true legacy of their heritage live on. These firsthand accounts educated, inspired and instilled within me a desire to make sure the story of Haiti is told and never forgotten. They are The Heart of Haiti.
Melky Jean
Melky Jean, younger sister of renowned recording artist Wyclef, was on a mission for Haiti long before the January 2010 earthquake. She shares intimate details of how the earthquake caused tremors in her heart and shattered the depths of her soul.
“I was in my apartment with my mom, scheduled to be in Haiti on Monday, which was the 11th, because one of the women from my foundation said, ‘let’s go to Haiti this week,’ but I couldn’t seem to get the security protocol right. I remember sitting in my apartment receiving a call [and] simultaneously looking at the television and seeing that an earthquake had hit Haiti. I got a sick feeling in my stomach and I knew that something was really, really wrong.
“I went into panic mode. I have family in Haiti, I have my foundation in Haiti, I have an orphanage that I had recently adopted and I couldn’t get ahold of anybody.
“I can only relate my feelings to when my father died 10 years ago and then a few days later Sept. 11 happened and that feeling that I remember was like something was being ripped out of my stomach.
“I don’t think that you will find one Haitian person that did not lose a member of their family or someone that they were close to. In terms of my family alone, we lost four cousins. We lost a rapper who was working with us, a building fell on his car and he was one of my brother’s best friends. Just imagine your whole block being gone. Going back home and no one is there.
“The thing that troubles me most about the relief efforts is that we had a cholera outbreak, there are still millions of people who don’t have homes. It troubles me that when I land in Haiti and as I’m driving, I still see tent cities everywhere.
“It’s very important to keep the story of Haiti alive. The story before the earthquake, the story of Haitian independence. You might not have a nickel in your pocket, but, whatever it is, you can do, do it. I started working on a compilation album by getting some of my friends together in song and [I plan to] donate all of the proceeds to Haiti,” says Jean, of her single, “Better.”
–suncera johnson
Suncera Johnson is a freelance writer and former producer and editor for MTV Networks. While pursuing her passion for the entertainment industry, she encourages others to do the same as producer and host of her blogtalk radio show “Musings of a Muse” and her “300 Steps to Greatness” initiative. You can follow her on Twitter under the pseudonym @thatwritingchic.
