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.
As the former co-owner and president of Violator Management, Mona Scott-Young has managed the careers of 50 Cent, LL Cool J, Missy Elliot and more. Although Scott-Young is the powerhouse behind Monami Entertainment, with a new VH-1 show “Love and Hip-Hop,” none of it mattered when the 2010 earthquake hit Haiti.
“My immediate reaction was disbelief. I thought that my mother might be in Haiti, so I called my sister who confirmed that [she] was. I started trying to reach her and dialed repeatedly for 48 hours, sitting in front of the TV watching CNN hoping to get some information.
“On the third day after the quake, sitting in front of the TV, I heard a voice I thought was familiar. … It was my mother. … So although I knew she was safe and alive, I had no idea where she was exactly. The next day, I kept trying to call and she finally answered,” Scott-Young says.
After getting her mother to safety in the United States, Scott-Young went to Haiti to locate her aunt and was surprised at what she found.
“I remember traveling for what seemed like hours and hours all the way into Jacmel. As we approached in black darkness, we could hear people praising God at the top of their lungs and singing. I remember thinking ‘Oh, my God, these people should feel forsaken and forgotten.’ To me, that says everything about the Haitian spirit and the Haitian people,” she says.
Scott-Young also talked about the problems plaguing Haiti, and gave a history lesson that I won’t soon forget.
“This is a country whose root problem stems from, I hesitate to say, the leadership and the government in the country itself.
“I think the focus should be not putting the bandage on the bullet wound, saying ‘let’s send some cases of water, let’s send some shoes’ but, ‘how do we get this country on its feet.’
“There are so many people who aren’t aware of things, like how Haiti’s impact on Napoleon’s army helped [facilitate] the Louisiana Purchase and doubled the size of the United States.
“Haiti was not only the first nation to gain their independence, but when other countries have been in trouble, they have been the first to [offer] aid. I think if people knew the history, it would inspire them to want to help,” she says.
–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.
