Last year more than 5,000 people in Haiti were killed in gang-related violence. The country has been in a political crisis for years. And for Haitians in the U.S. with feet in two worlds, reality in both countries is unstable.

To better understand the story, public radio stations in the three cities with the largest Haitian populations in America are teaming up to open the phones and hear from Haitian listeners. Brian Lehrer (WNYC), with Saraya Wintersmith (GBH News) and Tim Padgett (WLRN), will host the 90-minute special “HAITI ON THE LINE,” which will air live across all three stations, and a transcript of the program translated into Haitian Creole will be made available following the broadcast.

If you’re Haitian or Haitian-American, we want to hear your thoughts on the country’s past, present and future.  Record a voice memo here , and we might share it on the air during the live program.

This call-in special will highlight the personal experiences of listeners in these communities, sharing their stories about their relationship to Haiti and the current crisis and exploring the new realities migrants and refugees face here in the U.S.

The hosts will be joined by special guests and experts on the situation, including:

  • Widlore Merancourt, journalist and editor-in-chief of Haitian news outlet AyiboPost
  • Jacqueline Charles, reporter for the Miami Herald who was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her work covering the 2010 Haiti earthquake
  • Dr. Geralde Gabeau, executive director of the Immigrant Family Services Institute
  • Rep. Sheila Cherfilus McCormick (D-FL), co-chair of the House Haiti Caucus and the only Haitian-American currently serving in Congress

Tune in Monday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time to listen live:

WNYC 93.9 FM, AM 820 and wnyc.org in New York
GBH 89.7 FM and gbhnews.org in Boston
WLRN 91.3 FM and wlrn.org in Miami

Resources and related links

'Haiti cannot die’: How two Haitian sisters help amid ongoing gang war , from GBH News in Boston. For more than a decade, Dr. Geralde Gabeau has worked tirelessly to help Haitian refugees find safety and a new life in Boston. But there’s one Haitian she has been unable to resettle — her older sister, Guerda Previlon. Previlon remains in Haiti where she, too, works to help Haitians in crisis. 

The Creole Pig: Haiti’s Great Loss , from WLRN in Miami, recounts the story of a vital, resilient animal central to Haitian life for generations. Indigenous to Haiti, the Creole pig was a critical resource for peasant farmers. However, in the 1980s an outbreak of swine flu prompted USAID and the Haitian government to exterminate the entire population of Creole pigs. This drastic measure delivered a devastating economic blow to an already struggling nation. The documentary explores how this mass culling accelerated Haiti’s economic decline while examining the political and social fallout. Featuring interviews with farmers, economists, educators, and political analysts, the film delves into Haiti’s history and politics to unpack the profound impact of this tragic event.

'A dictatorship of indifference’: Haitian priest outraged over treatment of immigrants , from WLRN in Miami, explains the concerns of a religious leader in Miami’s Little Haiti, who is concerned about the impact of President Trump’s immigration policies on his congregation.