BlackPerspective.net
Discussing the Diaspora as seen through an internal Black lens
So What About Wyclef’s Call To Evacuate Port-Au-Prince
January 19th, 2010
Following Haitian born, New Jersey raised Wyclef Jean’s press conference yesterday where he defended his integrity amiss allegations, and spoke of the needs of Haiti (from where he’d just returned); most “news” organizations are only reporting on his and Yele’s defense of their expenditure practices, but ignore what Wyclef spoke the most about, the needs of Haitians.
Primarily, at the behest of Haiti’s Prime Minister and President, Wyclef called for the evacuation of Haiti saying:
“In 48 hours the U.S. Army could probably set up a hundred thousand tents. So I think the first solutin is we need a massive exodus outside of Port-Au-Prince; with the help of the Haitian government identifying land where these people can go to.”
Wyclef said he was asking not just the U.S. but the Middle East and the World. He went on to say:
“What I am calling for is not the usual response to housing a population displaced by a natural disaster. What I am calling for is a plan that takes into account the nature of the population of a city which has grown in recent years mainly because of people coming from all over the country to seek a better life. We are proposing that instead of creating tent cities in the vicinity of Port-au-Prince that instead the emphasis should be on creating tent cities disbursed around the country in order to facilitate people evacuating from the capital to the communities they came from or where they still have family.
Wyclef, who is known as an unofficial ambassador of his native land; holding almost Bob Marley like sway with the Haitian people says he was greeted in Haiti by President Perval and Prime Min. Bellerive, and asked him to convey this request to the rest of the world. Likewise , he has been in contact with the white house to convey these wishes.
“In all our relief work we are guided by both President Perval and Prime Min. Bellerive on the Haitian side, and the White House and the military on the U.S. side.”
But instead of discussing this request from the Haitian government, through Wyclef; instead the mainstream media and some others in new media focus almost exclusively still on “ha ha, you should have known better than to give to a celebritie’s charity“, or just note the fact that he responded to the allegations (though not even bothering to give any points of the response).
On the other hand though, most donors to Yele, and most black media have expressed continued support for Wyclef and Yele; knowning his long dedicated work in Haiti; relying on their own judegment in place of shaddowy inuendo started by rightwing wedbite the Smoking Gun.
It’s reported, and Wyclef made mention that Yele will be dispatching a plane, supplied by FedEx, carrying water food and medical supplies to Haiti.
Discuss, Wyclef’s and the Haitian government’s request below. I think it makes more sense given the grave distruction to the physical infrastructure in Haiti.
Watch the GEORGE CLOONEY & WYCLEF hosted live telethon this Friday evening on MTV and possibly other networks.
See video of Wyclef’s and Yele’s press conference explaing their expenditures and the call for evacuation.
posted in Action Alert, Foreign News, Natural Disasters, News & Events | | | View blog reactions |
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Yobachi Boswell is creator and publisher of BlackPerspecitve.net. I’m a writer, activist and political watcher based in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve also been know to do some spoken word and MCing in my day.
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I hadn’t heard this, but I was thinking about this today. If the reports coming out of Haiti are even half true then there is nothing in PaP. Makes perfect sense to me.
“I hadn’t heard this”, exactly. Taking time to tear down a long time humanitarian activist is more important for the media.
“Makes perfect sense to me.”
I’d say so.