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Toussaint Louverture statue
unveiled in Little Haiti

May 23, 2005

A brand new statue of Toussaint Louverture was unveiled Saturday in Little Haiti at the corner of 62nd Street and North Miami Avenue.

The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries including city of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and the Consul General of Haiti in Miami Mr. Ralph Latortue.

Mayor Diaz praised the Haitian community for its contribution to the diversity of South Florida and announced ground breaking ceremonies on May 25th for the Little Haiti Park and Cultural Center, a multi million dollar project which will be built at the corner of 59th Street and Northeast 2nd Avenue.

The Executive Director of the Center for Haitian Studies Dr. Larry Pierre praised Toussaint Louverture who gave up his privileges as a house slave to lead the revolution.

Members of the political organization “Veye Yo” attempted to disrupt the ceremonies when they showed up with large posters of cadavers. They were quickly turned away by police officers.

The statue was built by artist James Mastin at a cost of $35,000.00. Total costs for the project including the unveiling ceremonies amount to $115,554.00 funded by the City of Miami, Miami-Dade County, Center for Haitian Studies and City Commissioner Jeffery Allen.