The Toussaint Louverture Cultural Center's library is filled with an extensive amount of Haitian literature (Marcel Anderson/NEHSJC)
In an effort to uplift and celebrate Haitian culture, the Toussaint Louverture Cultural Center (TLCC) has hit the ground running in Boston’s North End.
The center is a new initiative from Haitian Americans United (HAU), an organization that has been working to support Haitian people by providing resources in education, advocacy, and legal support for over 25 years.
The TLCC opened its doors on Lovejoy Wharf in May after winning a free 25-year lease through a grant, beating out other well-known North End organizations, including The North End Historical Society.
“In the past couple of years, Haiti has been in the news for only negative headlines,” said Karm-Syndia Augustine, the center's program director. “We're trying to showcase a different side of us.”
For example, the TLCC brought Caribbean investors and startups together at a breakfast mixer on June 25.
“People tend to have that belief that immigrants are just taking and taking and taking,” Augustine said. “They don’t think about the contribution aspect. We are contributing intellectually and also economically.”
The center is named after Toussaint Louverture, who led Haiti to independence in a rebellion by enslaved fighters against French colonial rule. The center is committed to preserving Haitian culture through educational programs and aims to uplift and unite Boston’s active Haitian community.
Only a month in, the TLCC is making strides toward its mission. The center is building relationships with Boston‘s Museum of Fine Arts and other cultural centers around the state. It is also providing an internship opportunity for students from Boston Public Schools (BPS). June 24 marked the first day of the internship, with four BPS students in the cohort.
“I’m excited for other people who are not educated about Haitian culture — for them to be educated in a nice environment,” said Arielle Marcedat Avi, one of the new TLCC interns.
In addition to community partnerships, the center is looking to share Haitian culture with the larger Boston community. The TLCC plans to host events including dance classes, and cooking and art lessons, “that will always be for everyone,” said Augustine, who sees the center as a “cultural embassy.”
“We want to share our culture with you,” she said. “... Where we are bringing the culture out to the world, but we also want to bring the world to the community.”
While the center has big plans for how it wants to affect the community, the first step is getting people in the door.
“My goal is to create activities to reach out to the community — whether we are reaching out to the Haitian community or the neighboring community,” she said. “Let them know we’re here… come in and celebrate with us.”