November 27, 2023
Garcelle Beauvais Is Working To Change The Narrative About Haiti, ‘It Needs Our Attention’
Garcelle Beauvais has teamed up for an initiative that amplifies her home country in the form of economic advancement.
Haitian actress and humanitarian Garcelle Beauvais has teamed up for an initiative that amplifies her home country of Haiti in the form of economic advancement.
In partnership with Pockets of Hope, a campaign of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), Beauvais is helping to change the narrative around Haiti by highlighting the progress of local initiatives. Alongside WKKF Program Officer Alix Cantave they share the strides that are being made to expand access to quality education for children, improve healthcare, and create economic opportunities.
Through Pockets of Hope, the WKKF is looking to connect more philanthropic funders and local organizations to work together to maximize outcomes for communities. At the Clinton Global Initiative in September, WKKF announced a commitment of $30 million to Haiti over the next three years and called on others to collectively commit $60 million, for a total commitment of $90 million, as part of the Pockets of Hope campaign.
On November 18, Haiti commemorated Vertières, a decisive battle in the country’s revolutionary war, which established Haiti as the first independent Black republic in the world. One hundred and twenty years later, wide-ranging progress is still underway in Haiti being led by local Haitians and campaigns like Pockets of Hope. To shine a bright light on the important, innovative hard work happening across the country, Garcelle Beauvais is helping spread the word on the significance of its latest campaign.
Vertières was a revolutionary battle that set the stage for Haitian independence and helped spark worldwide calls for the abolition of slavery. Something that continues to be of great significance even today.
“It’s really kind of a testimony to the fact that Blacks did not accept the conditions of slavery which at the time everyone felt that we were being uncivilized,” Contave tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.
While Haiti made monumental history by becoming the first Black nation to declare its independence, Contave notes how the country has been paying the price ever since.
“Haiti is the first place to say, to affirm Black Lives Matter and we’ve been paying the price ever since,” he said.
As for Garcelle, she was proud to put her name behind the Pockets of Hope initiative as a Haitian native and advocate for her home country.
“I’ve never been shy about saying that I’m a proud Haitian, even when the connotations were not always positive. So for me, Haiti is my roots. It’s where I’m from. It’s what I’m proud to be,” she said. “When W .K. Kellogg came to me, it made perfect sense. It’s like, how can I help? I love using my platform not only to, you know, promote the things that I do, but promote the things that are important to my community, and my country.”
“And so Haiti is where I really want to focus my attention because I really feel like it needs our attention,” she added.
Press play below to learn more about Pockets of Hope, a campaign of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), how “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star is using her platform to raise awareness, and how we can support the initiative.