DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Haitian Lives Matter
In the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, people of Haitian descent experience deep and systematic discrimination, and constitutional change in 2010 effectively stripped generations of people of Haitian descent of their Dominican citizenship. On 9 June, Reconoci.do, a network that defends human rights and promotes the effective integration of Dominican people of Haitian descent into Dominican society, mobilised in an event to commemorate George Floyd, but faced a vitriolic backlash and a police response that took the side of those trying to stop them.
We consider ourselves part of a global movement. Many times we have been told that the BLM movement was caused by something that happened in the USA and that it was not our concern; however, as vulnerable and stigmatised people we understand that this is an issue that directly affects us and that we must address.
Elena Lorac
