Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre (D-Babylon) held her second annual Haitian Flag Day celebration on Thursday, May 19th. She was joined by Suffolk County Presiding Officer Legislator DuWayne Gregory and over 200 members of the local community. The event was held at Wyandanch Memorial High School and featured performances, dancing, and ethnic food.

“The country of Haiti was formed when slaves fought for their basic right to freedom,” Jean-Pierre said. “As a first-generation Haitian-American, I’m proud to celebrate the contributions of the people of Haiti. We wanted to hold this event as a way to bring the entire community together to honor and celebrate Haiti’s culture and unique history.”

Haitian Flag Day is observed annually on May 18th to commemorate the day the first purely Haitian flag was adopted in 1803. It is widely celebrated by Haitians as a way to show pride in their country, honor their nation’s founders and recognize the contributions of Haitian men and women around the world.

“It was truly an honor to host this Haitian Flag day event alongside Assemblywoman Jean-Pierre and celebrate the cultural heritage, achievements and contributions of the Haitian community,” said Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory. “I would like to give a special thanks to all who came together to help spread and celebrate Haitian pride.”