Founded in 1999 by Magareth Corkery, Fritz Mompliasir, and Dr. Marie Soledad Nelson, the organization is designed to give Haitians and friends in the Metropolitan Detroit area the opportunity to exchange ideas, discuss current events and network. Membership is open to anyone with a genuine interest in Haiti and its people. HNGD became a non-profit organization in 2003 with the following objectives:
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To promote Haitian culture and create a forum for Haitian and friends to network.
- To facilitate communication between Haitians and other organization in Detroit
- To contribute to the welfare of Haitians worldwide
- To advocate the expansion and improvement of cultural diversity in the Detroit area.
Since the inception of the organization, we have organized several activities including the 2004 Bicentenail Conference, lectures, plays, an annual masquerade ball, poetry reading, Health Fair, Fashion show, film festival, and the publication of Zanmi Detroit, our newsletter. In the past few years, we have been supporting the people of Haiti by donating most of our fundraising proceeds to organizations and churches working in Haiti.
Current Board Members (2022):
Shirley Alcé-Konaté – President
Margareth Corkery – Vice President
Alain Desvallons-Mentor – Secretary
Janny Magloire Milton- Treasurer
