Dominican Republic: Two Intellectuals Issue a Call against Racism
By ESENDOM
April 3, 2018
In an act of courage and in response to the hate campaign against immigrants of Haitian descent and their descendants in the Dominican Republic, Avelino Stanley and Reina Rosario, two Dominican intellectuals, recently launched a call in rejection of hatred and racism in a statement circulated by email and social media.
The authors of the document entitled "A Call against Racism and Hate" have written fiction books and conducted historical research. Acento, the news site, also published the statement.
The document begins with an allusion to the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination:
"Today is March 21. Today spring begins, the season of changing colors. It should also be a date of repercussion in the conscience of all human beings because today is ‘International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’. However, unfortunately, this date generates concern in us. Concern about the moral and ethical degradation that the Dominican Republic is experiencing. In addition, we are deeply concerned because in the country a group of people has been persistently embracing the banner of racism and hatred and with that action have influenced other Dominicans."
The authors of the call also denounce the promoters of this latest incitement to spread hatred and the use of violence against Haitian nationals. Avelino Stanley and Reina Rosario conclude by making a call to “not to let their hatred grow in the country. We make a fervent call to prevent hatred be part of the Dominican future.”
Click here to read the full statement in full in the original Spanish.
___