The rally, organized by members of the group Gem City Action, saw dozens of attendees and several speakers calling the community to action. The rally was in response to claims circulated by politicians about Haitian migrants in Springfield, accusing immigrants of stealing pets in the city for food.
Among speakers for the day was Guy Jones, a Dayton activist. He told attendees of the rally to consider their roots.
“All of us, all of you, are immigrants,” he said. “So many people don’t know their own history.”
Xavier Johnson, the pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, said he finds it unfortunate that harmful rhetoric against immigrants has become commonplace in political discourse.
“But rejecting that kind of discourse begins with actions like this — with us showing up and saying, you know what, that’s not who we are. This is not what we do. It is unacceptable, and we reject it,” he said.
Johnson wore a shirt that said “Haiti: Freedom began with us,” which nods to Haiti’s establishment as a free republic in 1804 following its revolution from France. Haiti was the first country to permanently ban slavery.
Springfield city hall and multiple schools shut down at times last week due to threats made, and even Springfield’s hospital received bomb threats.
Lauren Morrisseau, who works at Springfield Regional Medical Center, said she often works with expecting Haitian families or their babies. She said the joy she experiences in her job has been matched now with fear for the safety of families in her city.
“Human migration is as old as our species, as old as birth and as old as war,” Morrisseau said. “Our region is not the first to welcome newcomers, nor is this the first time we’ve done so. We know what needs to be done, and we must waste no time calling loudly for increased resources for our state and federal governments.”
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