AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
So Springfield, Ohio, now the scene of far-right marches and bomb threats. That's after false racist claims online and by politicians, including Donald Trump and JD Vance that vilify Haitians in the city. Many Haitians say they feel unsafe, and on Saturday evening, they gather to speak out as best they could. Chris Welter of member station WYSO reports.
CHRIS WELTER, BYLINE: In a bustling community health and support center on the south side of Springfield, Ohio, three people crowded behind a laptop to participate in the Ohio Haitian Speak Community Conversation. The conversation was supposed to be in person and open to the public at the center, but bomb threats forced the event online. Macollvie Neel, the executive editor of the online newspaper The Haitian Times, moderated the conversation.
MACOLLVIE NEEL: How are we going to use this moment to organize not just here in Springfield, but collectively across the country, so we can help mitigate these types of situations?
WELTER: Fifteen to 20,000 Haitian people have moved to Springfield in the last five years. Some are transplants from places like Miami and Long Island. Others are refugees from Haiti. They've been drawn by its cheap housing and job opportunities. Viles Dorsainvil is the executive director of Springfield's Haitian Community Health and Support Center. The center offers an expanding list of things like homeownership seminars, health care services, and driving classes.
VILES DORSAINVIL: Haitians are hard-working people. They will work more than 60 hours a week if they get the possibility to do that. And because of that, they have been integrating the community so rapidly.
WELTER: Denise Williams is president of the Springfield chapter of the NAACP. During the event, Williams said that her organization is helping to bring mental health professionals to Springfield to support Haitian people dealing with anxiety and trauma from recent events.
DENISE WILLIAMS: You know, they can't tell if we Haitians or not. So an attack on one is an attack on our Black and brown community. I want you to know, we are standing with you.
WELTER: And the threats keep coming. Multiple hospitals in Springfield received bomb threats on Saturday morning, and a far-right march was held on the city's north side. Neel, the moderator, ended the event by urging Haitians in Springfield to stay vigilant.
NEEL: Keep your eyes open on each other. Look out for your neighbor. Look out for your friends, look out for the kids, look out for your leaders, look out for your non-leaders, ordinary people.
WELTER: For NPR news, I'm Chris Welter in Springfield, Ohio.
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