Episode 11 NEIGHBORS: Rivyè Masak to Stephora — A Timeline of Anti-Haitian Violence

In this episode, host Le Joseph traces the long, painful history of anti-Haitianism in the Dominican Republic — from colonial killings at the river border, to the 1937 Parsley Massacre ordered by Rafael Trujillo, to modern cases of rape, murder, and institutional violence targeting Haitians.

Through documented events — including the 2011 rape and murder near Dajabón, the 2015 lynching of Henry “Tulile” Claude Jean, the 2023 and 2024 rape allegations involving Dominican migration agents, systemic abuse of Haitian women in Dominican health and immigration systems, and the 2025 drowning of 11-year-old Stephora Anne-Mircie Joseph — this episode exposes a consistent pattern often denied or minimized.

This is not an attack on a people. It is a call for truth, justice, and historical clarity.

Topics: Haiti, Dominican Republic, Parsley Massacre, Dajabón River, anti-Haitianism, racism, migration, Stephora Joseph, human rights

Host: Le Bon Joseph

Show: Off The Boat with Le Joseph

In this episode, we dig into a side of Haitian history most people never hear about: how waves of Middle Eastern and European migrants helped shape the country’s modern elite. We start with the big picture—why Syrians, Lebanese, Palestinians, Germans, French and others left their homelands in the 19th and early 20th centuries, how they arrived in the Caribbean, and why Haiti became such an attractive place to settle and do business.

From there, we connect that migration story to the powerful families who dominate Haiti’s economy and politics today. We talk about names like Bigio, Acra, Madsen, Apaid, Mevs, Boulos, Vorbe, Abdallah, Baker, Jaar, Khawly, Martelly, and more—where they came from, the sectors they control, and the controversies and scandals that follow them, from questionable contracts and political influence to gang financing and drug-trafficking cases.

The goal isn’t to sensationalize, but to explain clearly how history, migration, and opportunity created a small circle of oligarchs with outsized influence on Haiti’s present and future. If you want to understand Haiti beyond the headlines—how power is really built, who holds it, and why—that’s exactly what this episode delivers.

Cholera is more than a public-health headline — it’s a story about infrastructure, inequality, history, and the ongoing struggle for dignity in Haiti. In Episode 9 of Off The Boat with Le Joseph, we explore how cholera first entered Haiti in 2010, how it devastated the country for nearly a decade, and why the disease returned in 2022 despite being declared eliminated.

This episode breaks down the science behind Vibrio cholerae, the conditions that allowed it to spread, the role of water and sanitation failures, and how climate, conflict, and displacement continue to fuel the resurgence. We also look at the broader Caribbean picture — including outbreaks in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and other islands — to understand cholera as a regional challenge, not just a Haitian tragedy.

Whether you care about public health, Caribbean history, Haitian affairs, or the structural issues shaping the region, this episode offers a grounded, clear, and necessary look at one of the most important crises of our time.

In this episode of Off The Boat with Le Joseph, I take a hard look at the frustration many Haitians feel seeing the world come together to help Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa. I understand that pain — the feeling of being overlooked — but we have to face the deeper truth.

Both Haiti and Jamaica have survived countless hurricanes — Gilbert, Georges, Gustav, Sandy, and now Melissa. Yet our outcomes couldn’t be more different. Jamaica rebuilds and moves forward, while Haiti struggles under the weight of corruption, weak infrastructure, and mismanagement of aid.

As a Haitian born in Haiti, I speak from love — for both nations. This is not about blaming, it’s about awakening the Haitian consciousness, holding our leaders accountable, and learning from our Caribbean brothers and sisters. 🇭🇹🇯🇲

We are not enemies; we are family. One storm, two nations, one Caribbean destiny. 🌊

🎧 Listen, reflect, and share. #OffTheBoatWithLeJoseph #LeJoseph #Haiti #Jamaica #HurricaneMelissa #CaribbeanPodcast #HaitianPodcast #Unity

What if the world’s first Black emperor wasn’t seen as a hero — but as a mystery? In this episode, Le Joseph digs deep into an 1809 British article from The Christian Observer titled “Memoranda Respecting Hayti” — one of the earliest foreign portrayals of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the founding father of Haiti.

Through translation, commentary, and reflection, this episode takes you beyond the myths and monuments to explore how Dessalines looked through the eyes of those who feared him, misunderstood him, and yet couldn’t ignore him.

We’ll read the original 19th-century text, translate it into Haitian Creole, and break down what it says — and what it hides — about Haiti’s independence, freedom, and the man who made it possible.

🎙 Topics in this episode:

• Dessalines through colonial eyes
• The 1809 Christian Observer portrayal of Haiti
• The contrast between legend and perception
• Haiti’s early independence and identity
• “Independence or Death” — the words that still echo

🔥 Featured Source: Memoranda Respecting Hayti. Christian Observer: Conducted by Members of the Established Church (1805–1861), Feb 1809, Vol. 8, Issue 2, pp. 80-83.

🎧 Listen to the full episode: “Off the Boat with Le Joseph” — available wherever you get your podcasts.

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Produced & published by 718 Wayz Publishing

When power goes unchecked, justice disappears. In this episode, Le Joseph unpacks the meaning of impunity—and why it feels so different in the United States vs. Haiti. From U.S. immigration arrests of Haitian elites like Réginald Boulosand Dimitri Vorbe, to the endless investigations surrounding Jovenel Moïse’s assassination, this is a raw look at how accountability, corruption, and justice collide across borders.

Le Joseph brings his signature mix of sarcasm, realism, and sharp political insight to dissect: – How U.S. systems of law respond (imperfectly) when power is abused. – Why Haiti’s institutions often fail to prosecute the powerful. – The ripple effects of corruption, gang influence, and selective justice on migration and democracy. – And what ordinary citizens can still do to push back against impunity.

THE LACK OF SPENDING ON EDUCATION IN HAITI IS THE SOURCE OF IGNORANCE.

Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council

Viv Ansanm is not a revolution. It's terrorism!

The death of Jovenel Moïse!