Saturday May 3rd, 2008 was a historic day for Miami’s Little Haiti, as it was the day of the grand opening of a brand new Soccer Park and Cultural Complex. The park opened with much fanfare as a young soccer team from L’Athletique d’Haiti was flown in from Haiti to play an exhibition game. The team members included kids from Port-au-Prince’s Cite Soleil and Bel Air neighborhoods who were visiting the United States for the first time.

HaitiXchange member Alain Pierre-Louis attended this event and was gracious enough to share his notes and photos:

When entering Little Haiti, one could sense a new feeling of pride in the streets. Twobadou bands were playing and Rara was kicking off.

As I entered the new park I immediately noticed the beautiful stadium architecture and the playgrounds which would serve as a safe haven for the kids in the community. A few words were said by Comissioner Spence-Jones, and other city officials including the city’s mayor. They dedicated the park to the late, Haitian soccer legend Emmauel “Manno” Sanon, and presented his family with the key to the city.

After the dedication ceremony it was time to play soccer! The mayor had the honor of kicking the park’s very first goal. During the breaks in the game, the Haitian Roots band Rara Lakay would pep the crowd up with familiar Rara numbers that everyone would sing along to.

After the games were over, the crowd moved to a concert area where dance troupes, Compas bands, and racine music groups such as Rara Rock and Top Masters, performed. Sosyete Koukouy’s dance troupe (a group that promotes Haitian culture in greater Miami) was also present there, as well as rapper Mecca (aka Grimo), who made a surprise appearance and signed posters. The smell of authentic Haitian dishes such as griot and pikliz filled the air as you walked by the food stands. Overall, it was a great day.

The events are still not over as a Cultural Center in the shape of the Haitian iron market will soon open. The people of Little Haiti will once again be able to show the rest of Miami the wonderful history and pride of Haitians.