Florida House of Representatives Representative Ronald A. Brisé mourns loss of Haitian Activist, Father Gerard Jean-Juste
TALLAHASSEE – The Honorable Representative Ronald A. Brisé is saddened by the death of beloved community leader, activist and priest, Father Gerard Jean-Juste who died of a stroke at Jackson Memorial Hospital on May 27, 2009.
Father Jean Juste has been at the forefront of equal rights efforts for the Haitian-American community since the 1970’s. In 1978 Father Jean-Juste founded the Haitian Refugee Center in Miami, Florida to aid incoming Haitian refugees to assimilate to the United States and get assistance in attaining legal status in this country. His passion for the people led him to take strong positions on the treatment of immigrants in the U.S., in particular Haitian immigrants.
He also championed the cause of the poor in Haiti by encouraging multilateral collaborations to bring aid to those in need. The loss of Father Jean-Juste is felt by communities internationally and in particular by the Haitian-American community. Many people have a chance to fight on behalf of their community but Father Jean-Juste was one of the few to selflessly defend the community while reaping no personal gain.
His hope and dream was that all Haitians both here and abroad would be treated with fairness and equality. We trust that our leaders in Washington, D.C. will take notice of the efforts of Father Jean-Juste by taking a closer look at granting equal rights and opportunity to Haitians.
Father Jean-Juste will be sorely missed, however the work he began will continue and his legacy will live on in the hearts of the people he so tirelessly defended.
