Father Gerard Jean-Juste: A Haitian Hero Dies

by Marty Goodman / July 2009

MIAMI—Haitian human-rights activist Father Gerard Jean-Juste passed away on May 27, leaving thousands—perhaps millions—who knew and loved him heart-broken, myself included. Jean-Juste died of a stroke and leukemia. He was 62.

Known simply as “Gerry” to his many friends and supporters, he was a tireless community organizer for refugee rights and democratic rights in Haiti. I worked with Gerry while I lived in Miami in 1979-1986, years of intense struggle for the Haitian community. Gerry shook up Miami’s conservative political climate like no one else.

Rules Jean-Bart, a long time Miami Haitian activist told Socialist Action, “Gerry gave a voice to the Haitian movement.”

Beginning in Miami in the late 1970s, Juste-Juste led so many demonstrations that many remember him bullhorn in hand. Jean-Juste, along with a collective of Haitian leftists called “Konbite Liberte” (Working together for freedom), denounced U.S. immigration policy as racist and demanded “political asylum” for Haitian refugees.

The Reagan administration had declared Haitian refugees “economic,” not political, refugees, despite the abysmal human rights record of the Duvalier regime. In contrast, Miami’s Cuban exiles, mostly white and fervently anti-communist, were deemed “political” refugees and given automatic asylum and citizenship. Gerry coined the term “Black Boat people” to highlight the blatant double standard.

What’s more, Gerry never failed to link refugee demands with ending Washington’s decades-long support for the brutal family dictatorship of Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier (1971-1986), son of the notorious Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier (1957-1971).

For imperialism, granting Haitians political asylum would mean discrediting a loyal anti-communist ally. Haitians were making the journey to Miami in shark infested waters, in which hundreds, probably thousands, died. Refugees who made it to Miami were often deported back into the arms of Duvalier’s thugs, where many were jailed, tortured, and sometimes murdered as dissidents.

In 1980, Jean-Juste’s overtly political message got him into trouble as director of the Catholic Church-run Haitian Refugee Center (HRC). They tried to fire him. In response, the HRC was physically occupied for two weeks by Haitian activists. Finally, Gerry was reinstated. The HRC’s funding source changed to the left-of-center National Council of Churches, whose Haitian Refugee Project was then headed by Cuba activist Rev. Lucious Walker.

With help from New York radical attorney Ira Gollobin, the HRC acquired talented lawyers such as Ira Kurzban and Steve Forrester, both still active defending Haitian rights. They won many influential court battles. However, Gerry believed the political struggle—particularly mass mobilizations—framed all legal battles and created the conditions for a favorable court decision. The HRC’s politically astute attorneys agreed.

Early in the Reagan administration, an “interdiction” policy began in which U.S. Coast Guard vessels would seize Haitian refugee boats in international waters, in clear violation of U.S. and international refugee law. Refugees were given farcical asylum hearings in the middle of the Caribbean.

Reagan also began a long-term detention and deportation policy specifically designed to punish and exclude Haitians. Haitian refugees were placed in the Krome Detention Camp on the edge of South Florida’s everglades, left to languish in “legal limbo” for up to a year or more awaiting hearings. Many were deported anyway. In stark contrast, Cubans exiles intercepted under similar circumstances spent a brief time at Krome. They were quickly released into the custody of friends or family. None were deported.

Hunger strikes by Haitians at Krome were numerous; suicide attempts not uncommon. One Krome camp chief quit and denounced conditions there. Gerry led innumerable pickets at Krome and held as many press conferences. Some activists committed civil disobedience.

Rules Jean-Bart repeatedly met in Miami with a representative of the Reagan administration. “The fear of Gerry was very real. What was this guy going to do to our community? That would drive them crazy!” explained Jean-Bart. “They asked us what did Haitians want? We always said “refugee status” and they wouldn’t go for it.”

The fall of Duvalier

After a mass uprising forced Duvalier to flee Haiti on Feb. 7, 1986, Jean-Juste spent more time in Haiti. He joined with other proponents of “liberation theology” such as future President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Jean-Juste returned to Haiti before the election of Aristide in December 1990, whom he supported. Gerry was made head of the “10th Department,” the exile community.

Although extremely popular amongst the masses, Aristide did not have a revolutionary program. In 1994 and 2004, Aristide called on U.S. imperialism, not the masses, to rescue his regime from two CIA-backed military coups. A World Bank economic policy was imposed, which has meant deepening misery for the masses.

After both coups, Jean-Juste stayed in Haiti when most well-known Aristide supporters fled. “Gerry was fearless,” said Jack Lieberman, a long-time Miami activist and friend of Jean-Juste. Many Haitians wanted Gerry to run for president while Aristide was living abroad. It was assumed by everyone that he would win. He never decided.

In 2005, while in Miami, Gerry led many protests against the Brazilian military’s role in Haiti, which was helping prop up a U.S.-backed dictator, Gerard La Tortue. Afterward, Gerry received threats on the radio, adding that he would be arrested in Haiti.

He soon went to Haiti anyway and was arrested on absurd charges of killing journalist Jacques Roche. He became an Amnesty International “prisoner of conscience. Jean-Juste was subjected to beatings and deprived of medical care. In jail, he was secretly diagnosed with leukemia by U.S. doctor Paul Farmer. After international protests he was released and flown to Miami for treatment.

When I last saw him in 2006 he looked great and had responded well to treatment. In the last few weeks of his life, however, he had fallen into a coma. Gerry’s funeral in Miami was attended by thousands from the “Little Haiti” community, his coffin taken on a symbolic procession back to where the former HRC had been on 54th St., now headquarters of Ve Ye Yo, an organization founded by Jean-Juste.

The real Father Jean-Juste

The bourgeois press and Haitian politicians would like to whitewash Jean-Juste’s legacy, as was done to Dr. Martin Luther King. Jean-Juste backed the struggle against the U.S.-supported Salvadoran military and opposed U.S. aid to the CIA-backed counter-revolutionary forces in Nicaragua.

Moreover, says Jack Lieberman, “Gerry never sought privileges. In Haiti, he lived with his sister, he didn’t have a car; the community gave him a car. Gerry didn’t have any money. When Aristide was in power, he never lived high off the hog. He never benefited materially in any way.” Said Jean-Bart, “Gerry’s time was the people’s time.”

Lieberman recalled for Socialist Action, “I’ll never forget a couple of years ago during the big student-worker protests in France, the biggest since May 1968. I went to where Gerry was staying at his sister’s house in Fort Lauderdale.

“Gerry was watching the protests on CNN. We both sat watching it and they showed people battling the police and shutting things down. Gerry was so happy to see French workers and students reclaiming their revolutionary heritage. Both of us were reminiscing about May ’68. He talked about how ’68 inspired progressive Haitians. We both really enjoyed it. We were both laughing. I’ll never forget it.”

Jean-Juste was buried in his hometown of Cavaillon, in the south. Goodbye Gerry, dear comrade and friend. Merci anpil. (Many thanks.)