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GOOD AFTERNOON.[Key to the City on May 1, 2026.]
UH, WELCOME TO OUR KEY TO THE CITY, UH, CEREMONY TODAY, HONORING, UH, TWO GIANTS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THE HONORABLE WCL JOHN AND THE HONORABLE MEL KIJA.
GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
UH, DISTINGUISHED GUEST ELECTED OFFICIALS AND MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, WE WELCOME YOU TODAY.
TODAY IS MORE THAN A CEREMONY.
UH, IT IS A DECLARATION OF HAITIAN EXCELLENCE, RESILIENCE, YES, AND GLOBAL INFLUENCE.
AS WE CELEBRATE HAITIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, UH, WE HONOR A PEOPLE WHOSE HISTORY IS ROOTED IN COURAGE AND WHOSE PRESENT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE THE WORLD.
TODAY, WE PROUDLY RECOGNIZE WACK CLIFF, JOHN AND MEL AND MELKY JEAN ARE TWO GLOBAL AMBASSADORS OF HAITIAN CULTURE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I CAN SAY I TASTED THEIR RUM, AND I'M TELLING YOU, IT WAS THE BEST NIGHT'S SLEEP I'VE EVER HAD.
SO, TO THE FAMILY, UH, OF THIS GREAT RUM, WE WELCOME YOU TO THE CITY OF TAMARA.
OF COURSE, UH, RIGHT AFTER TODAY'S, UH, PRESENTATION, YOU CAN GO OUTSIDE AND HAVE A TASTE OF THAT RUM.
AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME WONDERFUL HAITIAN PATTIES FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, ALSO YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE IS A QR CODE THAT WILL COME UP ON THE SCREEN.
WE WANT YOU TO SCAN THAT, UH, FOLLOW, UH, OUR PAGE.
THAT WAY, WHEN YOU'RE POSTING THE GREAT MOMENTS, UH, FROM TODAY, UH, YOU CAN MAKE SURE TO TAG US, UH, TAG MILKY AND TAG, UH, WYCLIFFE AS WELL, SO THAT THIS MOMENT GOES VIRAL.
BECAUSE TOO OFTEN OUR HAITIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE SILENCED, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT WE LOVE THEM, THAT WE RESPECT THEM, AND THAT WE HONOR THEM IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS WEEK.
TODAY WE HAVE SOME, UH, DIGNITARIES AMONG US, AND I WANT TO, UH, MAKE MENTION OF THEM.
UH, TODAY, UH, WE HAVE OUR FOREVER CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA SHIRTLESS MCCORMICK, HERE WITH US, THE FIRST HAITIAN AMERICAN TO EVER HOLD THAT SEAT IN CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL, UH, C 20.
AND SO WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU, CONGRESSWOMAN.
AND OF COURSE, WE HAVE, UH, HER, UM, LOVELY ASSISTANT, UM, CHIEF OF STAFF, UH, NADE LEBLANC WITH US TODAY AS WELL, WE HAVE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM THE CITY OF TAMARA, COMMISSIONER MOY WRIGHT.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER CRYSTAL PATTERSON, AND COMMISSIONER DR.
WE ALSO HAVE THE FORMER MAYOR OF BROWARD COUNTY TODAY, UH, WITH US.
WE HAVE OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND HER STAFF AS WELL, UH, FROM DISTRICT 97, THE HONORABLE LISA DUNKLEY.
WE HAVE, UH, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, UH, WITH US.
THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY, BUT THEIR AIDES ARE HERE.
UH, RECI AND DWIGHT, PLEASE MAKE THEM FEEL WELCOME AS WELL.
WE HAVE FROM THE GREAT CITY OF LAUDERDALE LAKES, THE BEAUTIFUL, THE HONORABLE, UH, TY C SWELL AND THE GREAT CITY OF LAUDER HILL, THE FIRST JAMAICAN WOMAN TO EVER BE ELECTED IN THAT CITY.
I BELIEVE THAT SHE'S GOING TO BE A STRONG MAYOR ONE DAY.
UH, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT STRONG MAYOR IS, IT IS A CITY TERM, UH, THAT YOU HAVE TO RUN THE SHOW WITHOUT THE CITY MANAGER.
AND SO MAYBE WE'LL DO THAT IN TAMRA SOMETIME.
THEY'RE REPRESENTATIVE, UH, THE BAR ASSOCIATION IS HERE.
UH, PLEASE MAKE THEM FEEL, UH, WELCOME AND, UH, THE MOST HONORABLE, UH, BROWARD COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
AND I'D SAY MY EX-BOSS,
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HAZEL P ROGERS IN THE FRONT, PLEASE, THE HONORABLE HAZEL P ROGERS.WE, UH, WELCOME YOU, UH, TODAY.
UH, HAVE I MISSED, UH, ANY ELECTED OFFICIALS? OKAY.
SO WE WANT TO, UM, I AM SORRY.
PLEASE, UH, UH, TELL US YOUR NAME, UH, SO THAT WE CAN RECOGNIZE YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, I BELIEVE I SAW OUR CITY ATTORNEY, HANS OT, THE FIRST, UH, HAITIAN ELECTED HAITIAN APPOINTED CITY ATTORNEY EVER IN THE CITY OF TAMRA HERE, UH, WITH US.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE WENT UPSTAIRS TO SIGN OFF ON THE EXPENSES OF THIS EVENT,
UH, WE ALSO WELCOME OUR CITY MANAGER AS WELL, MR. LA SALU.
AND OF COURSE, WE ALSO WANT TO, UH, WELCOME THE, UH, THE FIRST HAITIAN AMERICAN MALE MAN TO BE ELECTED IN THE CITY OF TAMRA, MR. MIKE GELLIN AND THE WIFE OF THE, UH, MOST AMAZING MAYOR IN NORTH LAUDERDALE.
UH, HIS NAME IS SAMSON BORLIN, REPRESENTED BY HIS WIFE DOROTHY BORLIN HERE TODAY AS WELL.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, WELCOME, UH, SOME ELECTED OFFICIALS TO GIVE, UH, SOME WORDS.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA SHARPLESS MCCORMICK THAT WILL SAY HELLO TO YOU.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, FORMER MAYOR, UH, DALE HOES THAT WILL SAY HELLO TO YOU AS WELL.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER DENISE, UH, MAYOR DENISE GRANT THAT WILL SAY HELLO TO YOU AS WELL.
AND THEN WE'LL FLOW INTO OUR PROGRAM FOR, UH, THE, THE PROCLAMATIONS AND THE KEY.
SO PLEASE, WE WELCOME, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA SHARPLESS MCCORMICK.
WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
BON BON BON WHAT? I SAID, I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE RECOGNIZING THE ONE AND ONLY WYCLEF JEAN AND HIS SISTER MIKA SADEK.
WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SEEING US, AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY IN DISTRICT 20 SEES YOU AND YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT IN ALL THE DOORS YOU HAVE OPENED FOR EVERYONE WHO IS HERE.
WE'RE PROUD TO WELCOME YOU INTO OUR DISTRICT 20, AND JUST KNOW DISTRICT 20, I LOVE YOU.
THE FIGHT CONTINUES, AND THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF US ACTUALLY CONQUERING AND ACHIEVING EVERY DREAM THAT WE'VE HAD.
SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE KNOW WE'RE STILL FIGHTING FOR TPS, BUT GOD HAS A PLAN FOR THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY, AND WE WILL WIN.
IT, SHE, I REALLY DO LOVE HAITI BON.
IT'S AN HONOR TO STAND HERE IN FRONT OF YOU, IN FRONT OF THIS GREAT MAN, THIS LEGEND THAT BRINGS SUCH GREAT MUSIC TO US OVER THE YEARS.
I GREW UP DANCING TO THAT MUSIC AND ENJOYING IT, AND HIS LOVELY SISTER, WHO IS A STALWART IN OUR COMMUNITY DOING GREAT WORK.
I SERVED AS THE MAYOR OF BROWN COUNTY, AND WHILST I WAS MAYOR, YOU'D HAVE HEARD COMING TRUE THE AIRPORT PART OF OUR GREETING, SLO MAUM S PASS, UA
THAT WAS TO ENSURE WE WELCOME EVERYONE IN HA TEA HA HAS CONTRIBUTED SO MUCH TO THIS GREAT COUNTRY, AND IT'S SUCH A GOOD THING, VICE MAYOR BOLTON, THAT YOU'RE DOING THIS.
THE CONTRIBUTION OF HAITI AND THE HAITIAN PEOPLE HAVE TOO OFTEN BEEN OVERLOOKED BY OUR NATION.
IN FACT, I'LL LET YOU KNOW THAT ONE THIRD OF THIS COUNTRY WAS GIVEN TO US BECAUSE OF HAITI DEFEAT IN NAPOLEON.
AND DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, HAITIAN FORCES SAVE OR NEXT AMERICAN NECKS IN SAVANNAH WITH OUR BACKS, SPINNED TO THE OCEAN, HEADED FOR CERTAIN DEFEAT
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UNTIL THE HAITIAN FORCES CAME TO RESCUE OUR MEN.WE ARE INDEPENDENT NATION GREATLY BECAUSE OF HAITI'S CONTRIBUTION TO OUR COUNTRY.
AND WE OWE DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO THE HAITIAN PEOPLE AND STILL FOREVER AND STILL, HAITIANS TODAY CONTRIBUTE TO BUILDING THIS COUNTRY, AND WE DON'T DO ENOUGH TO HELP THEM.
THERE SHOULD NO BE NO SHORTAGE OF DOLLARS FOR US TO HELP THE HAITIAN PEOPLE.
THEY SHOULD GET ALL THE EQUIPMENT TOOLS THEY NEED IN ORDER TO HAVE SAFETY, THE INVESTMENTS NECESSARY, THE TRADE AGREEMENTS THAT WE GIVE TO OTHER COUNTRIES, THE FAVORED NATION STATUS THAT WE GIVE TO OTHER COUNTRIES.
THEY SHOULD BE THE FIRST TO GET IT BECAUSE THEY WERE THE FIRST TO BE WITH US DURING THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE.
AND IT IS A DISTINCT HONOR AND PRI PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE IN THE CITY OF TAMARACK, A CITY THAT HONORS AND CELEBRATES DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS WITHOUT RESERVATION.
WE WANNA THANK OF COURSE, OUR VICE MAYOR, THE MAYOR WITH THE VISION, THE MAYOR, THE VICE MAYOR, WHO ALWAYS STANDS IN SPITE OF ALL THINGS, TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
AND SO TODAY, WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE TWO GREAT LEGENDS.
AND OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW WHY CLEFT JEAN, I WAS RAISED IN NEW JERSEY, AND SO OF COURSE I KNOW QUITE WELL AS IT RELATES TO THE FUJI.
AND SO ALL OF THE SONGS AND EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE, YOU ARE INDEED A GENIUS.
AND I HAVE, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, SO MUCH TO DO, BUT HAD TO BE HERE TODAY TO SEE YOU IN THE FLESH AND TO SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC, TO OUR CULTURE, TO OUR SOCIETY, AND TO THE GLOBAL NATION.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOU HAVE DONE.
YOU COME FROM GREAT STOCK, OF COURSE, BEING ABLE TO BE TWO ENTREPRENEURS WHO HAVE DONE EXCELLENT WORK, AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL.
TOO BAD YOU DON'T LIVE IN THE CITY OF LAUDER HILL, BUT I COME HERE TO CELEBRATE YOU IN THE CITY OF TAMARACK.
AND SO AGAIN, VICE MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISION.
YOU ALWAYS MAKE THINGS POSSIBLE AND WE HONOR, WE SALUTE AND WE CELEBRATE YOU AS WELL, BRINGING THESE TWO GREAT PEOPLE TO US SO WE CAN SAY INDEED.
AND WE NOW WELCOME OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM FROM THE CITY OF TAMRA, UH, DR.
KEISHA DANIEL, UH, COMMISSIONER MORRIE WRIGHT AND COMMISSIONER CRYSTAL PATTERSON, UH, TO SAY A FEW WORDS, FEWER THAN UH, UH, MAYOR DALE HOLNESS
SO, AND I NORMALLY THE ONE WHO DON'T LIKE TO SPEAK, BUT SPEAK, I'M AMONGST GREATNESS.
SO YES, I MEAN, HOW I, I CAN'T EVEN, I CAN'T EVEN GO THERE.
GOD, I WISH MY HUSBAND WAS HERE SO WE COULD TAKE PICTURES.
HAITI'S NOT JUST A COUNTRY, IT'S A SYMBOL OF FREEDOM, COURAGE, AND UNSHAKABLE IDENTITY.
AND IN HONORING WYCLEF AND MILKY, HIS SISTER
WE HONOR EVERY HAITIAN CHILD WHO DARESS TO DREAM BEYOND BORDERS.
YOUR IMPACT REACHES FAR BEYOND YOUR MUSIC.
I WON'T SAY WHAT HOLDING SAY, BUT AS A JAMAICAN, LET ME TELL YOU, I'M PROUD OF HOW YOU GUYS GOT YOUR INDEPENDENCE.
LIKE I TAUGHT MY KIDS ABOUT THAT.
SO WE CELEBRATING GREATNESS TODAY.
I KEEP SAYING THAT BECAUSE IT'S TRUE, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT, BUT IT'S TRUE.
WE WENT TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MUSEUM IN DC AND WHEN I SAW, I WAS LIKE, MAN, I WAS JUST BAWLING, BECAUSE FINALLY WE'RE BEING HONORED.
AND OUR KIDS CAN LEARN FROM US.
IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO HONOR YOU.
AND THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT.
AND TO MY BIG BROTHER, THE VICE MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THIS VISION.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, NOT THE BAD WORK, BUT
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THE GOOD WORK.IT'S A PEOPLE WHO TURN STRUGGLE INTO BEAUTY AND PAIN INTO PURPOSE.
FROM CAMPA MUSIC TO HAITIAN CUISINE, FROM POETRY TO PRAYER, HAITI HAS GIVEN THE WORLD A RICHNESS THAT CANNOT BE REPLICATED.
HAITIAN CULTURE DOESN'T JUST SURVIVE, IT SHINES.
IF RESILIENCE HAD A FACE, IT WOULD LOOK LIKE HAITI.
HAITI HAS FACED CHALLENGES THAT WOULD BREAK NATIONS, BUT INSTEAD, HAITIANS RISE.
THERE IS A CERTAIN PRIDE IN BEING HAITIAN.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANNOUNCE IT.
YOU CAN FEEL IT WHEN YOU WALK INTO A ROOM.
YOU CAN HEAR IT IN THE VIBRATIONS OF THEIR MUSIC.
AND WHEN THEY SAY SAPA, SAY, EVERYBODY RESPONDS WITH HAITIAN AMERICAN.
HERITAGE MONTH IS NOT JUST ABOUT REFLECTION, IT'S ABOUT RECOGNITION.
IT'S ABOUT HONORING THE PAST, CELEBRATING THE PRESENT, AND INVESTING IN A FUTURE WHERE HAITIANS, HAITIAN, EXCELLENT, CONTINUES TO LEAD GLOBALLY.
THIS MONTH REMINDS US THAT HAITIAN CONTRIBUTIONS ARE NOT BEHIND US.
WYCLIFFE JOHN DID NOT JUST MAKE MUSIC, HE MADE HISTORY.
HE TOOK THE SOUND OF HAITI TO A PLACE, UH, AND PLACED IT ON A GLOBAL STAGE.
GRAMMY AWARDS, GLOBAL TOURS, AND A VOICE THAT TRANSCENDS BORDERS.
BUT BEYOND THE MUSIC, HIS HEART FOR HAITI, HIS HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS, HIS ADVOCACY, THAT'S WHAT MAKES HIM TRULY REMARKABLE.
GIVE HIM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE AND MILKY.
SHE IS THE DEFINITION OF QUIET POWER.
AN ENTREPRENEUR, AN ARTIST, AND A WOMAN WHO HAS BUILT LEGACY THROUGH IMPACT OVER 10 YEARS AS A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF TAMARACK, SHE REPRESENTS THE STRENGTH OF HAITIAN WOMEN, VISIONARY, RESILIENT, AND UN UNAPOLOGETICALLY EXCELLENCE.
TOGETHER THIS BROTHER AND SISTER DOER REMINDS US THAT LEGACY, BRILLIANCE, AND PURPOSE IS STILL ALIVE.
NOW, I HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, ICONS LIKE WYCLIFFE AND MILKY, WHEN WE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR THEM, THERE WAS A LITTLE THOUGHT IN MY MIND THAT SAYS, MAYBE HE DOESN'T SHOW UP.
HOW CAN A SUPERSTAR LIKE THIS COME TO OUR LITTLE CITY? BUT HE'S HERE TODAY AND WE HONOR THE GREAT MAN AND THE GREAT WOMAN.
AND WE KNOW THAT HAITI CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE, UH, THERE AND HERE UNDER A REGIME, UH, THAT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A DICTATORSHIP.
BUT WE THANK OUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS LIKE CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA SHELI MCCORMICK, WHO FIGHTS FOR TPS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
REPRESENTATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT BEING SEEN, IT'S ABOUT BEING REMEMBERED.
WHEN ONE HAITIAN WINS, IT SENDS A SIGNAL TO EVERY HAITIAN CHILD THAT YOU CAN DO IT.
LEGACY IS NOT WHAT YOU LEAVE BEHIND, IT'S WHAT YOU BUILD IN OTHERS WHILE THEY'RE STILL HERE.
AND EXCELLENCE IS NOT AN IN AN, AN ACCIDENT.
IT IS A DECISION THAT IS MADE DAILY.
IT IS WHY I SUPPORTED, UH, COMMISSIONER GELLIN TO BE THE FIRST HAITIAN, UH, MALE ELECTED IN THE CITY OF TAMARA.
THAT IS WHY I SUPPORTED COMMISSIONER PATTERSON TO BE THE
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FIRST HAITIAN WOMAN IN THE CITY OF TAMARACK.BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES AND BACKGROUNDS, THAT GOVERNMENT WORKS BETTER.
AND THERE'S REPRESENTATION AT THE TABLE.
SO TO EVERY HAITIAN IN THE ROOM, YOUR STORY MATTERS.
YOUR HERITAGE IS NOT A LIMITATION.
WALK BOLDLY, DREAM BIGGER, AND NEVER FORGET WHERE YOU COME FROM.
BECAUSE HAITI IS NOT JUST IN YOUR HISTORY.
AND FINALLY, TODAY, AS WE REPEAT, AS WE SAID OUTSIDE, BUT WE'LL REPEAT IT TODAY, THAT SOMETIMES IT IS ADVERSITY THAT PUSHES US TO DO BETTER.
IT IS ADVERSITY THAT SOMETIMES PUSHES US TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
AND IT IS SOMETIMES ADVERSITY THAT PUSHES US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HONOR THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE WORKING HARD IN FRONT AND BEHIND THE SCENES.
SO LONG LIVE HAITIAN EXCELLENCE, LONG LIVE HAITIAN PRIDE.
AND MAY WE CONTINUE TO MAKE HAITI PROUD EVERYWHERE WE GO, WE WILL INVITE, UH, TODAY, UH, SOME AMAZING, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO WILL CONFER THEIR HIGHEST HONOR, UH, ON THESE GREAT MEN, THIS GREAT MAN AND THIS GREAT WOMAN.
UH, IN THE ORDER WE WILL INVITE, UH, STATE REP, STATE REPRESENTATIVE LISA DUNKLEY.
UH, THEN WE'LL INVITE, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, ALEXANDRA DAVIS, UH, HER AIDE.
THEN WE'LL INVITE, UH, COMMISSIONER COUNTY, COMMISSIONER HAZEL P ROGERS, AND THEN WE'LL INVITE, INVITE OUR TAC ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, TO COME TO CONFER THE KEY TO THE CITY.
UH, THEY WILL COME WITH THEIR REMARKS AS WELL AS THEY'RE CONFERRING THE KEY, UH, BUT THE HONOREES WILL SPEAK AFTER ALL OF THE HONORS HAVE BEEN CONFERRED.
SO PLEASE WELCOME, UH, THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 97, LISA DUNKLEY.
I ALMOST SAID GOOD MORNING, JUST BECAUSE I AM OFTEN NOT SLEEPING.
I AM STATE REPRESENTATIVE LISA DUNKLEY.
AND IT IS SUCH AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO STAND BEFORE TWO ICONS AND GREATNESS IN THE GENRE OF MUSIC THAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED TO THE WORLD, AND THAT YOU HAVE LEND YOUR TALENTS.
AND FOR HAITI, WHO IS, WHO HAS STOOD AS THE BACKBONE OF WHAT WE KNOW IN FREEDOMS IN AMERICA, AND EVEN IN THE CARIBBEAN BEING A JAMAICAN.
AND TO GO BACK, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE STAND IN THE STATE HOUSE IN WITH TPF, WITH MY SISTER MARIE WOODSON, AS WE SAT TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, TPF STAND HERE BECAUSE THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY IS ONE THAT STOOD WITH AMERICA.
SO WE NEED TO STAND WITH THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY WHEN IT'S THE RIGHT TIME TODAY.
I'M JUST HERE TO PRESENT THE HONORS TO YOU IN RECOGNITION OF THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
UM, AND WE WANNA BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE PROPERLY RECOGNIZED.
I JUST WOULD BE REMISS THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONER BOLTON AND THE TAM REC ELECTED OFFICIAL FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS RECOGNITION HAPPEN TODAY.
AND I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, CONGRESSWOMAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'VE BUILT WHILE YOU'RE IN OFFICE.
AND I ALSO WANNA, MAYOR, MAYOR, OH, I'M GONNA SAY COUNTY COMMISSIONER HAER ROGERS, I WANNA SAY MAYOR, UM, DENISE GRANT, AND ALSO TY COMMISSIONER TY SWELL FROM THE WE CARE CITY AND A FORMER MAYOR DEL V HOLNESS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE RELATIONSHIP WE'VE BUILT IN, IN MY ROLE AS THE ELECTED.
I CALL IT, I'M THE BABY IN THIS CREW HERE,
BUT I WANNA GO AHEAD AND PRESENT BEFORE YOU FIRST, I'M GOING TO PRESENT TO MR. WYCLEF.
IT SAYS, WHEREAS WYCLEF JOHN, BORN IN KOI DEATH, BETTE BOUQUET HAITI IS AN INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED HAITIAN RAPPER, PRODUCER, SONGWRITER, PHILAN PHILANTHROPIST AND CULTURAL AMBASSADOR, WHOSE LIFE CAREER REFLECT THE POWER OF TALENT, PERSEVERANCE, AND PURPOSE.
AND WHEREAS AFTER IMMIGRATING TO THE UNITED STATES AS A CHILD, AND LATER BEING RAISED IN
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NEW YORK, NEW AND NEW JERSEY, W KLE, JEAN TRANSFORMED HIS EARLY MUSICAL GIFTS INTO A GROUNDBREAKING CAREER THAT WOULD INFLUENCE POPULAR MUSIC ACROSS THE GLOBE.AND WHEREAS, AS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE FUJI, WHEN I, I GREW UP ON TWO, SO MAYOR, YOU WEREN'T THE ONLY ONE.
AND WHEREAS THE FUJI'S LANDMARK 1996 ALBUM, THE SCORE SOLD MORE THAN 18 MILLION COPIES WORLDWIDE AND EARNED TWO GRAMMY.
LET THAT THINK IN CEMENTING THE GROUP'S PLACE IN MUSIC HISTORY AND ELEVATING HAITIAN AND CARIBBEAN INFLUENCE ON THE GLOBAL STAGE.
AND WHEREAS AS A SOLO ARTIST, WYCLEF CONTINUED TO EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES OF MUSIC THROUGH ACCLAIM PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE CARNIVAL, THE ECKLER, THE ECKLER FREAK, THE MASQUERADE.
WELCOME TO HAITI CREOLE 1 0 1 CARNIVAL VOLUME, ONE MEMORY OF AN IMMIGRANT, AND THE OTHER WORKS THAT CELEBRATED CULTURE MIGRATION STRUGGLED JOY AND IDENTITY.
AND WHEREAS WYCLEF CREATIVE GENIUS HAVE EXTENDED BEYOND HIS OWN RECORDINGS THROUGH COLLABORATIONS WITH SOME OF THE MOST WORLD WORLD'S, MOST CELEBRATED ARTISTS, INCLUDING HIS WORK WITH CARLOS SANTANA ON MARIA MARIA.
OH, YES, THAT ONE, WHITNEY HOUSTON
AND WHEREAS THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, WYCLIFFE HAS USED HIS PLATFORM TO BRING ATTENTION TO HAITI, THE HAITIAN DIASPORA, IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, AND THE SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES TO UPLIFT THOSE FACING HARDSHIP, POVERTY AND CRISIS.
AND WHEREAS JOURNEY FROM HAITI TO INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED STANDS AS A POWERFUL TESTAMENT TO HAITIAN AMERICAN EXCELLENCE, REMINDING COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT FLORIDA AND BEYOND THAT HERITAGE IS NOT ONLY SOMETHING TO HONOR, BUT A SOURCE OF STRENGTH, CREATIVITY, AND SERVICE.
AND WHEREAS FLORIDA IS A HOME OF ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST VIBRANT HAITIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES WHOSE CONTRIBUTIONS TO MUSIC, BUSINESS, FAITH, A PUBLIC SERVICE, EDUCATION, AND CIVIC LIFE CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN THE CULTURAL FABRIC OF OUR STATE.
AND WHEREAS W CLIFF JEAN LEGACY CONTINUES TO INSPIRE ARTISTS, FAMILIES, YOUNG PEOPLE, IMMIGRANTS, AND DREAMERS, TO EMBRACE THEIR ROOTS, ELEVATE THEIR VOICES, AND USE THEIR GIFTS IN SERVICE TO GREATER AT THAN THEMSELVES.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IT ME, LISA DUNKLEY, REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 97, HEREBY PROUDLY HONORS WYCLEF JOHN FOR HIS REMARKABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, GLOBAL CULTURAL INFLUENCE, HUMANITARIAN SERVICE, AND ENDURING LEGACY OF HAITIAN AMERICAN EXCELLENCE, AND HEREBY RECOGNIZE MAY 1ST, 2026 AS W JEANE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
I WANTED TO, IS IT AFTERWARDS? OH, COME ON.
CAN YOU TELL I'M NERVOUS? 'CAUSE WHEN YOU ARE AROUND GREATNESS, YOU GET NERVOUS,
AND I IN HONOR OF MAL KEITH, OH MY GOSH, I, I YOU ARE TRULY WHAT THEY CALL THE CARIBBEAN TROPHY.
SO I WANNA PRESENT TO MELKY, WHEREAS MELKY JOHN IS THE DAUGHTER OF HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS, PASTOR JOHN AND YOLAND JOHN, WHO MIGRATED TO BROOKLYN, NEW YORK IN SEARCH OF POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FREEDOM, INSTILLING IN THEIR CHILDREN THE VALUES OF FAITH, SERVICE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND GIVING BACK.
AND WHEREAS MEL KEY DISPLAYED EXTRAORDINARY MUSICAL TALENTS AT A YOUNG AGE, DIRECTING THE CHURCH CHOIR BY AGE FIVE, SINGING ALONGSIDE HER BROTHER Y CLASS IN THE FAMILY BAND, AND LATER GRADUATING AT THE TOP OF HER CLASS FROM THE NEWARK SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS.
AND WHEREAS THROUGH HER CAREER, MEL KEY HAS EARNED
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RECOGNITION AS A GIFTED SINGER, SONGWRITER AND ARTIST, RECEIVING A GRAMMY NOMINATION, CONTRIBUTING TO NUMEROUS SOUNDTRACKS, WRITING FOR A CELEBRA CELEBRATED PERFORMANCE, AND BEING RECOGNIZED BY ROLLING STONE AS ONE OF THE MOST, IN ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL UNDERGROUND ARTISTS.AND WHEREAS MOVED BY THE TREATMENT OF HAITIAN REFUGEES, MILKY RELOCATED TO MIAMI AND BECAME A COMMITTED ADVOCATE FOR HAITIAN RIGHTS, HAITIAN TEMPORARY PROTECT, PROTECTED STATUS, AND THE DIGNITY OF HAITIAN FAMILIES SEEKING SAFETY, STABILITY, AND OPPORTUNITY.
WHEREAS IN 2007, MILKY FOUNDED THE KARMA FOUNDATION AND ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF HAITIAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN THROUGH THEIR SERVICE EMPOWERMENT AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY SUPPORT IMPACTING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LIFE SINCE ITS FOUNDING.
AND WHEREAS THROUGH HER HAITIAN STIMULUS PACKAGE PHILOSOPHY, MILKY HAS ADVANCED A MODEL OF HUMANITARIAN AID THAT SUPPORTS LOCAL MERCHANTS STRENGTHEN LOCAL EEC ECONOMIES, AND FLS HER BELIEF THAT WHEN YOU EMPOWER A WOMAN, YOU EMPOWER A VILLAGE.
AND WHEREAS AN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE CARE FOR HAITI ALBUM PROJECT MELKY BROUGHT TOGETHER ACCLAIMED ARTIST, INCLUDING PATTI LABELLE, SEAN PAUL, AND WYCLEF, TO SUPPORT CHARITABLE EFFORTS BENEFITING HAITI AND ITS PEOPLE.
WHEREAS FLORIDA IS A HOME OF VIBRANT HAITIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY WHOSE CONTRIBUTIONS ENRICH OUR CULTURAL ECONOMY, CIVIC LIFE, AND SHARED FUTURE, AND MELKY JOHN'S LIFE AND LEGACY STAR STAND AS A POWERFUL EXAMPLE OF HAITIAN AMERICAN EXCELLENCE, CREATIVITY, ADVOCACY, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND SERVICE.
THEREFORE, I, LISA DUNKLEY RECOGNIZE AND HONOR MEL KI JEAN FOR HER EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO MUSIC HUMANITARIAN SERVICE, WHO HAITIAN ADVOCACY AND CULTURAL LEADERSHIP, AND HEREBY RECOGNIZE MAY 1ST, 2026 AS MEL IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY TO YOU BOTH THAT MY SISTER-IN-LAW, WHO'S HAITIAN AMERICAN, SAID, ARE THEY STREAMING? SO SHE COULD ACTUALLY SEE YOU BOTH.
SHE ADMIRES AND PRIDE YOU BOTH.
OH, DID WE DO THAT? I TELL YOU WHEN YOU STAND IT.
NOW TO CONFER THE KEY TO THE, UH, THE COUNTY, TO BROWARD COUNTY, UH, WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER ALEXANDRA DAVIS, HER REPRESENTATIVE HERE, RACI, UH, WHO WILL, UH, CONFER THE KEY, UH, TODAY.
AND I ALSO WANT TO MAKE MENTION, UH, WHILE RACI IS COMING, UH, THAT THE, UH, HONORABLE COUNCIL GENERAL, UH, OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEON IS HERE, HONORABLE GEORGE HAMILTON.
PLEASE, SIR, WILL YOU THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UM, AND TODAY IS, UH, LABOR DAY IN HAITI.
DID YOU KNOW THAT IT IS LABOR DAY IN HAITI? SO PLEASE REMEMBER, WORK HARD, DON'T JUST PLAY HARD.
MY NAME IS, UH, RAY SMITH, AND I WORK WITH COMMISSIONER ALEXANDRA P DAVIS.
AND, UH, I'M HER COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR.
AND SO UNFORTUNATELY, COMMISSIONER DAVIS CANNOT BE HERE, BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND SHE LOVES THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY.
LIKE IF YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER DAVIS, SHE'S A TRAILBLAZER.
AND I KNOW THAT 'CAUSE I WORK WITH HER PERSONALLY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN SHE WANTS SOMETHING DONE, SHE GETS IT DONE.
AND SO, ON THE BEHALF OF THE BROWARD COUNTY COMMISSIONER ALEXANDRA P DAVIS, I WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, MENTION DURING HER TIME SERVING THE CITY OF AMIRA MARCH, SHE WAS VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT UPLIFTING THE HAITIAN CULTURE, CREATING A SPACE FOR REPRESENTATION, AND ENSURING THAT THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY WERE NOT ONLY HEARD, BUT CELEBRATED.
THAT SAME PASSION CONTINUES NOW, TODAY AT THE COUNTY LEVEL.
IT IS NOT, IT IS IN THAT SPIRIT AS SHE'S ESPECIALLY PROUD TO RECOGNIZE TWO INDIVIDUALS WHOSE IMPACT REACHES FAR BEYOND MUSIC AND BUSINESS.
WHY CLEFT GENE AND MILKY IS A JOHN OR JEAN
[00:35:01]
JOHN, JOHN WYCLEF, JOHN AND MILKY JOHNYOU GUYS HAVE USED THESE GIFTS TO INFLUENCE AND, YOU KNOW, JUST BE, UH, AN INSPIRATION TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY DO HAITIANS APPRECIATE YOU GUYS, BUT ALSO JAMAICANS, CARIBBEANS, AMERICANS, AND JUST INTERNATIONALLY.
AND SO TODAY WE PROBABLY PRESENT THE BROWARD COUNTY KEYS TO THE, AH, TODAY WE PROBABLY PRESENT THE BROWARD COUNTY KEY TO THE COUNTY AS A SYMBOL OF OUR DEEPEST APPRECIATION FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION, YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS, YOUR LEGACY, AND YOUR CONTINUED IMPACT.
AND, UH, WE ALSO NOW WELCOME, UH, MY EX-BOSS
UM, I, I WAS SO, SO PROUD TO, UH, REPRESENT BROWARD COUNTY, UH, DISTRICT NINE AS, UH, THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR.
AND I'M SO GRATEFUL, UH, TO HAVE, UH, THE MOST AMAZING, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, IN BROWARD COUNTY.
UH, PLEASE DON'T TELL ALEXANDRA ALEXANDRA THAT
PLEASE WELCOME COMMISSIONER HAZEL ROGERS.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AND IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE.
WOULD NOT MISS IT FOR THE WORLD BECAUSE I CAN SHARE WITH YOU THAT OCTOBER, 2010, IF ANYBODY KNOWS ABOUT THE HURRICANE, EARTHQUAKE, WHATEVER THAT QUAKE WAS, IT WAS NOT GOOD FOR HAITI, ALRIGHT? AND I KNOW I HAD TO DO SOMETHING.
SO WE ARE ALWAYS HERE FOR OUR CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY.
THE AMERICANS ARE ALREADY HERE.
THAT'S OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO TRULY PAVED THE WAY FOR ALL OF US.
SO WHEN I SAY TO YOU THAT WE LOVE HAITI HERE, YOU CAN ASK THE ONLY HAITIAN MAYOR IN BROWARD COUNTY AND HIS LOVELY WIFE ABOUT HAZEL ROGERS COMMITMENT AND WHAT SHE HAS DONE.
I'M NOT GONNA STAND HERE AND PREACH IT, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW YOU ALWAYS HAVE VOICES HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL, AS WE WOULD SAY JIMON AND OR BOB MARLEY HAS DONE.
THAT'S HOW I EQUATE BOTH OF YOU, BECAUSE YOU ARE THAT VOICE IN HOW YOU DANCE, THAT VOICE IN HOW YOU SING.
SO YOU KNOW, I WAS GONNA MENTION THAT AND GIVE YOU CREDIT GIRL FOR BEING IN THEM HEELS AND DOING YOUR THING, ALRIGHT? YES, YES, YES.
OKAY? SO I THANK MY STAFF FOR MAKING, PREPARING ME FOR THIS PROCLAMATION AND TO MY COLLEAGUE WHO IS NOT HERE AND COULD NOT BE HERE, NOT BECAUSE SHE DID NOT WANT TO BE HERE, SOMETIMES WE'RE DOING THREE AND FOUR AND FIVE THINGS AT THE SAME TIME.
SO LET ME GET THE PROCLAMATION.
AND NORMALLY I'D GO TO THE WOMAN FIRST, BUT THE BROTHER LED THE WAY AND OPEN THE DOOR AND YOU JUST WALKED IN AND YOU DID YOUR OWN THING.
BUT I'M A WOMAN CELEBRATOR AND A WOMAN SUPPORTER AND A WOMAN.
EVERYTHING IN WHAT I DO AND LOVE IT.
AND OF COURSE IN 1995 WHEN I LOST BY TWO VOTES, I COULD IMAGINE THERE WAS A LOT OF IMMIGRANTS VOTING FOR ME, BUT THEY WOULDN'T GIVE ME A RECOUNT.
SO I HAD TO GO BACK IN 1996 AND WE DID IT THIS TIME WITH MY IMMIGRANTS BEING TRAINED TO PRESS THAT BUTTON OR THAT N****E OR WHATEVER IT WAS.
NO HANGING CHAD, NO DIMPLE CHAD, OKAY? WE WERE DOING IT THIS TIME AROUND.
[00:40:01]
YOU TO EVERYONE AND CELEBRATE MY CULTURE WITH PRIDE ALL THE TIME.ANYBODY KNOW ME, CELEBRATE MY CULTURE, BUT NOT CHANGING MY ACCENT FOR NOBODY.
I GOT BULLIED IN SCHOOL IN BROOKLYN.
SO I SAY, I SAW YOU, I LOVE IT.
ALRIGHT, LET ME SHOW ON A LITTLE HELLO IF YOU ONLY KNOW.
BUT I'M GOING PUT ON SOMETHING HAVE TO CHANGE.
ALL OF US HAVE TO LEARN BECAUSE SOME THINGS MUST CHANGE.
RESPECT IS DUE ALL THE TIME IN FRONT OF YOU, BEHIND YOU.
YOU HAVE EARNED YOU PLACE IN THIS COUNTRY LIKE ANYONE ELSE.
YOU HAVE SACRIFICED PEOPLE, SACRIFICE FOR YOU, DIED FOR ALL OF US.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO REMEMBER.
SO WHEREAS WHITECLIFF JOHN IS A GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING ARTIST, PRODUCER, SONGWRITER, HUMANITARIAN ENTREPRENEUR, A CULTURAL AMBASSADOR WHOSE WORK HAS MADE A LASTING GLOBAL IMPACT ON MUSIC AND THIS SOCIETY.
AND I KNOW MY COLLEAGUE READ EVERYTHING BEFORE, SO I'M GONNA SKIP AND GET TO THE REAL MEAT OF THE
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE, ISN'T IT? OF COURSE.
WHEREAS THROUGH A SUCCESSFUL SOLO CAREER AND COLLABORATION WITH RENOWNED ARTISTS, US SIR HAS DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL CREATIVITY AND VERSATILITY.
AND WHEREAS YOU SIR, GETTING THIS PROCLAMATION FROM ME, GIRL, I APPRECIATE YOU.
WHEREAS WHITECLIFF JOHN JOURNEY FROM IMMIGRANT ROOTS, NOT FORGETTING THE ROOTS TO GLOBAL SUCCESS CONTINUES TO INSPIRE GENERATIONS TO PURSUE EXCELLENCE AND SERVE OTHERS.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT PROCLAIMED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONER OF BROWARD COUNTY, THAT THE BOARD HEREBY PROCLAIMS MAY 1ST, 2026 AS WHITECLIFF JOHN APPRECIATION DAY IN BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, IN RECOGNITION OF HIS, ON HIS REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS, HUMANITARIAN SERVICE AND ENDURING CONTRIBUTION TO CULTURE AND COMMUNITY.
WE THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
I'M GONNA ASK HER, I'M GONNA ASK HER TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH THE KIDS AGAIN AT THE END.
SHE PRETTY SEE NOW UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL ON THIS ONE, WHEREAS MEL JEAN IS AN INTERNATIONAL AND INTELLIGENT SPECTACULAR SCRIPT, RIGHT? OH, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
HOW ABOUT I HOLD IT FOR HER? THANK YOU.
BORN IN HAITI AND RAISED IN THE UNITED STATES.
SHE PROUDLY EMBRACES HER HAITIAN HERITAGE, AMPLIFYING, EXEMPLIFYING RESILIENCE, CULTURAL PRIDE AND EXCELLENCE AS A DISTINGUISHED ASIAN AMERICAN VOICE.
WHEREAS THROUGH TALENT AND DETERMINATION, SHE HAS BUILT A SUCCESSFUL MULTIFACETED CAREER IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, CONTRIBUTING TO ACCLAIM, RECORDINGS, PERFORMANCES AND COLLABORATIONS ACROSS GENRE WHILE CONNECTING WITH AUDIENCES WORLDWIDE.
WHEREAS BEYOND ENTERTAINMENT, SHE'S A VISIONARY ENTREPRENEUR AND A DEDICATED PHILANTHROPIST WHO ADVOCATES FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION, HEALTH AWARENESS, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE UNDERSERVED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE VALUE YOU, WE LOVE YOU AND EVERYONE, ALL OF US, ALL OF OUR CHILDREN CAN LOOK TO YOU AND SEE YOU, SEE HAITI AND BE PROUD OF THEMSELVES.
I DO HEREBY JOIN MY COLLEAGUES AS WE PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TO YOU, BE PROCLAIMED BY THE BOARD OF BROWARD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THAT THE BOARD HEREBY DESIGNATE FRIDAY, MAY 1ST AS MEL JOHN APPRECIATION DAY IN BROWARD COUNTY,
[00:45:01]
FLORIDA, IN RECOGNITION OF OUR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, PHILANTHROPY AND COMMUNITY.AND MAY I ASK WHERE'S THE OFFICIAL CAMERAMAN? IN THE BACK? RIGHT HERE.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, UH, ROGERS, UM, AS HER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, I, I TRAINED HER TO, UH, TO MAKE TROUBLE,
AND, UH, WE'RE GOING TO NOW CONFER THE KEY TO THE CITY, UH, OF TAMARACK TO WYCLIFFE AND MILKY.
UH, SO I'M GOING TO INVITE, UH, MY COLLEAGUES, UH, TO STAND WITH ME, UM, AS WE CONFER, UH, THESE KEYS TODAY.
AND BEFORE WE DO THAT, REMEMBER SCAN THE QR CODE FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE WANT ALL OF YOUR VIDEOS AND PICTURES PLEASE.
SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU TAG US ON ALL OF THEM.
WHEREAS THE CITY OF TAMARACK RECOGNIZES THE PROFOUND CULTURAL, ARTISTIC AND HUMANITARIAN CONTRIBUTIONS OF WIK JOHN AND MEL JOHN.
WHEREAS BOTH HONOREES HAVE DEMONSTRATED EXCELLENCE, RESILIENCE, AND PRIDE IN THEIR HAITIAN HERITAGE.
NOW THEREFORE, I MARLON BOLTON ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF AK, HEREBY PROCLAIMS MAY 1ST AS WYCLIFFE JOHN AND MEL JEAN DAY, AND PRESENT THEM WITH A KEY TO THE CITY OF AK.
UM, DO WE MOVE THIS, MOVE IT FOR A LITTLE BIT SO WE CAN TAKE IT.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, GIFTS FOR, UH, BOTH,
[00:50:01]
UH, MILKY, MILKY AND WYCLIFFE.UH, THIS IS A LABOR OF LOVE FROM OUR STAFF HERE IN THE CITY OF TAMARA.
SO WE'LL PRESENT, UH, THIS LOVELY, UH, HAITIAN MADE GIFT BASKET AND WE MADE SURE JAMAICAN DID NOT MAKE IT.
WE MADE SURE WE WENT TO A HAITIAN VENDOR,
AND WE HAVE ONE FOR MILKY AS WELL.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL BOUQUET OF FLOWERS, UH, FOR YOU.
UM, WE DID NOT GIVE WHITE CLIFFE ONE BECAUSE WE KNOW HE'S GONNA FLY BACK, UH, BUT
SO WE WILL HAVE NOW HAVE THEIR REPLIES.
AND I COULD NOT BEGIN TO SPEAK WITHOUT INVITING OUR SISTER ROSE
WE ARE A VERY TIGHT FAMILY, AND WHEN ONE SHINE, WE ALL SHINE.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, I HAVE TO SAY THIS, I DIDN'T MEET THIS GENTLEMAN TOO LONG AGO, BUT I REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AGO, AND MY SISTER CAN ATTEST TO THIS, I WAS GOING OUT TO VOTE AND LIVING IN TAMARACK.
NO ONE KNEW THAT I LIVED HERE.
I WAS ENJOYING THE SECRET ALL BY MYSELF,
AND THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN, HIS NAME WAS MARLON BOLTON.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HIM, BUT I SAW HIS PICTURE EVERYWHERE AND IT WAS SOMETHING ABOUT HIS SMILE, SOMETHING ABOUT HIS FACE.
I WAS LIKE, I'M VOTING FOR HIM,
AND SO WHEN WE FINALLY MET AND BECAME AND LIVING HERE, I'VE MADE FRIENDS LIKE MAURY AND WE HAD A GENUINE NIGHT.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS CITY SO MUCH, IT'S A MAGICAL CITY AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MAGICAL IT IS UNTIL YOU LIVE HERE.
I REMEMBER WHEN I MET CRYSTAL, I WALKED UP TO HER AND I SAID, YOU MUST BE THE PRETTIEST COMMISSIONER IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD,
AND SHE WAS LIKE, I'M HAITIAN, AND YOU WALKED UP TO ME, SIS.
AND THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE CITY THAT I AM SO PROUD TO BE A PART OF.
NOT ONLY IS IT WHERE I LIVE, IT'S WHERE I STARTED MY BUSINESS.
IT'S WHERE I RUN MY FOUNDATION.
I LOOK OVER, I SEE PEOPLE LIKE BIANCA, PEOPLE LIKE JOLEN, WOMEN WHO HAVE WORKED WITH ME IN THE KARMA FOUNDATION, PEOPLE LIKE SANDRA.
I LOOK OVER AND I SEE PEOPLE LIKE MA, ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS THAT I MET BECAUSE I WENT TO A DOCTOR HERE IN TAMARACK, A FEMALE DOCTOR, A BLACK HAITIAN DOCTOR.
ARE WE OUT HERE? I MET PEOPLE LIKE THE BEAUTIFUL MAGGIE WHO OWNS CASA D MOORE.
AND IF YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW ABOUT CASA D MORE, FIND OUT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING LUNCH LATER.
THIS IS THE CITY THAT I LIVE MY LIFE.
20 YEARS AGO WHEN I FIRST MOVED OUT HERE, IT WAS VERY HARD FOR ME.
I DIDN'T HAVE ONE FRIEND, MY BROTHER, MY SISTERS, THEY ALL LIVED IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY.
AND I CAN PROUDLY SAY THAT I FOUND MY COMMUNITY HERE.
AND LISTEN, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION CERTAIN PEOPLE TODAY.
ONE OF WHICH MY HUSBAND WHO DOESN'T LIKE THE SPOTLIGHT.
[00:55:01]
HERE.HE LIKES TO STAY IN THE BACKGROUND.
AND HE IS VERY MARRIED LADIES.
AND NEXT TO HIM IS JONATHAN VILMA, ONE OF HAITI'S PRIDE AND JOY.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED MY RUN BUSINESS, IT WAS ONLY A FEW PEOPLE WHO COULDN'T CONSULT ME.
'CAUSE I THOUGHT I KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING.
AND JONATHAN, YOU AND I SAT IN THAT ROOM AND WE DEBATED AND WE CREATED SOMETHING AMAZING.
WE CREATED SOMETHING THAT WAS ACTUALLY CREATED RIGHT HERE IN TAMARACK.
A YEAR LATER TO THIS DATE, IT'S AWARD-WINNING.
A YEAR LATER, A WOMAN OVER 40 YEARS OLD WHO WAS IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS AND DOING HUMANITARIAN WORK, DECIDED TO START A BUSINESS.
AND THE BUSINESS IS FLOURISHING RIGHT HERE IN TAMARACK, Y'ALL.
SO IF IT'S ANYBODY OUT HERE THAT HAS A DREAM OR SOMETHING THAT YOU WANNA DO AND YOU FEEL LIKE I'M TOO YOUNG OR I'M TOO OLD, LET US SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE FOR YOU.
AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT MAKES ME SUPER HAPPY GROWING UP IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS IN THE NINETIES, UNCLE LUKE, LISTEN, UNCLE LUKE IS HERE TODAY, AND I'M GONNA TELL Y'ALL, GROWING UP IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY, WE KNEW ALL ABOUT HOW DAY COUNTY WAS DOING IT,
UNCLE LUKE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
BEFORE I TURN THE MIC OVER TO MY BROTHER WYCLEF, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO MY SAINT SILVER FAMILY.
JA, I SEE YOU ATHIA, ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED WITH ME IN OUR FOUNDATION.
I WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO MY NIECE IN HER RED DRESS RIGHT THERE.
AND SHE'S ACTUALLY HOLDING ON TO MY GLAM BABY.
SO I'D LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE I'M NOT A GRANDMOTHER, BUT I HAVE A STEPSON WHO I RAISED HERE IN TAMARACK.
WE GOT CUSTODY OF HIM WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 10 YEARS OLD.
AND THAT IS MY GRANDBABY RIGHT THERE.
TAMARACK IS THE CITY THAT I MADE SO MANY FRIENDS.
I SEE MR. FELIX, WHO SMOKES CIGARS WITH MY HUSBAND.
STAND UP MR. FELIX SO EVERYBODY CAN SEE YOU.
THIS IS THE PLACE THAT I LOVE.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR NOT ONLY SHOWING LOVE TO ME AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, BUT SHOWING US WHY HAITIANS MATTER, WHY BLACK GIRLS MATTER, WHY WE ALL MATTER.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF REPRESENTATIVE GIAN IS STILL HERE, BUT HE SHARES THE SAME BIRTHDAY WITH ME.
TODAY IS SO SPECIAL BECAUSE I GET TO SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE WHO THE WORLD KNOWS AS A LEGEND, AS AN ICON.
BUT FOR ME, HE IS THAT AND SO MUCH MORE.
SEE, I CAN'T SETTLE FOR MEDIOCRE LOVE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN LOVED PROPERLY.
ONE OF THE REASONS I'VE BEEN LOVED PROPERLY IS BECAUSE OF MY BIG BROTHER.
SO SEE, I'M NOT A REGULAR GIRL.
SUPREME LIKES TO THINK HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO BOX AND YOU DID BABY.
BUT THE PERSON WHO TAUGHT ME HOW TO FIRST THROW THE JAB
[01:00:01]
YOU ARE MY BIG BROTHER, MY CONSULARY, YOU ARE MY CONFIDANT.YOU ARE THE PERSON THAT I CAN CALL WHEN THE WORLD FEELS SO HEAVY.
WELL, I, EVERYONE SEES YOU AS A ROCK STAR.
I SEE YOU AS OU AND I KNOW THAT OUR FATHER IS LOOKING AT US GUYS AND HE IS SAYING, JOB WELL DONE.
AND YOU JUST GETTING STARTED, BABY.
MAKE SOME NOISE FOR MY BROTHER, MY FRIEND BLACKLE SHA.
SO MY SISTER BULLIED ME INTO COMING HERE.
I GOT THE CALL AND SHE WAS LIKE, WHERE YOU AT? I WAS LIKE, I'M IN JUS HEADED DBU DHABI.
YO, I NEED YOU TO COME DOWN HERE.
YOU KNOW, I GOT SEVEN ALBUMS COMING OUT IN THE COURSE OF A YEAR.
I GOT THIS GOOGLE JOB WHEN SHE SAYS, YEAH, BUT YOU STOPPING IN MIAMI FOR F1, AIN'T YOU
THE AMAZING AMONGST ALL OF THE JOKES.
SO THIS IS MY OTHER BABY, ROSE SHARON, THE MOST AMAZING FOOD I'VE EVER HAD.
SO I I, I WANNA START OFF OF COURSE, BY ACKNOWLEDGING ALL OF THE EXCELLENCIES THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
I START OFF WITH Y'ALL BECAUSE IT REMINDS ME OF ELIJAH MUHAMMAD TOLD MALCOLM X, THERE'S ENOUGH PEOPLE SINGING, THERE'S ENOUGH PEOPLE DANCING, THERE'S ENOUGH PEOPLE DOING THE J BOWL.
SO I SALUTE Y'ALL BECAUSE WITHOUT Y'ALL, WE WOULD NOT BE.
SO Y'ALL INSPIRE FOLKS LIKE ME.
I'M NAMED AFTER THE REFORMATIVE FROM THE 14TH CENTURY.
MY DAD NAMED ME AFTER THE FIRST PERSON TO TRANSLATE THE BOOK, MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, AND JOHN.
LATER, THE ENTIRE BIBLE WAS TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY JOHN WYCLIFFE.
130 YEARS LATER, THE LUTHERAN DOCTRINE WAS INSPIRED.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE WHEN MY SISTER TELL YOU THAT MY DAD IS WATCHING OVER US, IT REMINDS ME OF MY DAD STANDING HERE, HOW PROUD HE WOULD BE.
I LEAVE YOU WITH TWO MORE MINUTES 'CAUSE I DON'T REALLY SPEAK A LOT, BUT I RAP A LOT,
SO IN THE LAST TWO MINUTES, MAYBE I WOULD SAY TO YOU, WHAT MAKES A MAN LEAVES HIS KINGDOM? WHAT MAKES A MAN LEAVES HIS ROCKSTAR CAREER AT THE HEIGHT OF HIS CAREER TO MAKE HIM FEEL THAT HE CAN GO RUN A COUNTRY TURMOIL.
NOW, SOME OF THE CLICKBAIT SAID, WELL, THIS MAN, WHAT DOES HE KNOW ABOUT POLI SCI? SOME OF THE CLICK BAIT SAYS, WELL, WHAT KIND OF DEGREE DOES THIS MAN HAVE THAT MAKES HIM QUALIFY? WELL, THE SIMPLE ANSWER TO THAT IS JESUS HAD NO DEGREES.
THEY DEGREES WAS I AM AS I AM.
SO I TELL YOU THIS TO TELL YOU, DO NOT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.
YOU WILL BE DECEIVED OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND IN CONCLUSION, I WORE THE HAITIAN FLAG AT THE GRAMMYS FOR SUCH REASON TO MEET YOU, TO MEET YOU, TO MEET YOU, TO MEET YOU.
I REACH KIDS FROM 10 ALL THE WAY TO 80.
AND I CALL OVER ALL OF US KIDS.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE THE RESPECT HAS NOTHING
[01:05:01]
TO DO WITH THE MUSIC.THE MUSIC COMES AND THE MUSIC GOES.
BUT THERE'S SOME KID IN THIS VILLAGE OF HAITI, EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT BECOME THE PRESIDENT THAT WILL BE PRESIDENT, BECAUSE HE INSPIRES BY WHAT WE DID THE SAME WAY WE WERE INSPIRED BY WHAT MARCUS GARVEY DID, MARTIN LUTHER KING, JUST TO NAME A FEW.
SO AS WE CELEBRATE TWO SAINT TURE TO MY JAMAICAN FOLKS, BOMAN BOOKMAN.
SO MAKE BOOKMAN AND FLIP THE ACCENT, YOU BOOKMAN, WHICH WAS A JAMAICAN, WENT TO HAITI AT A VERY YOUNG AGE.
SO THAT LETS US UNDERSTAND THAT
YES, PLEASE STAND, JONATHAN, COME ON, GET UP HERE UNCLE LOU.
I, I HOPE YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TWO ADOPTED KIDS IN ME AND WHITE.
SO BEFORE YOU GO, HERE ARE SOME, UH, HOUSEKEEPING, UH, FOR YOU.
UH, FIRSTLY THE SECRET IS OUT.
UH, WE ARE GOING TO CASA DE MOORE.
UH, IT IS OUR MOST AMAZING RESTAURANT, UH, HERE NOW IN TAMARACK.
ON YOUR WAY OUT, YOU ARE GOING TO GET A, UH, INVITATION TO, UH, THE, UH, RESTAURANT.
WHEN YOU GO OUTSIDE, YOU'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE SOME REFRESHMENTS AND SOME, UH, HAITIAN, UH, SPIRITS,
AND THEN OF COURSE, UM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE, UH, WYCLIFFE, UH, BE WITH US FOR A LITTLE BIT.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
I KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DID NOT THINK THAT WE'D HAVE A PACKED ROOM TODAY, BECAUSE IT'S 12 O'CLOCK ON A FRIDAY.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING OFF FROM WORK.
WE ALSO HAD AN OVERFLOW ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE AND AN OVERFLOW ATRIUM WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE AS WELL.
SO PLEASE MEET, UH, THE PEOPLE AS THEY LEAVE TODAY.