Haiti On The Line

WLRN Presents

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 America 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 teamed up to open the phones and hear from Haitian listeners.Brian Lehrer (WNYC, New York City), with Saraya Wintersmith (GBH News, Boston) and Tim Padgett (WLRN, Miami) hosted the 90-minute special, “Haiti on the Line,” which aired live across all three stations on Feb. 24, 2025. This call-in special highlighted the personal experiences of listeners in these communities, who shared their stories about their relationship to Haiti and the current crisis and explored the new realities migrants and refugees face here in America.The hosts were joined by special guests and experts on the situation, including:Widlore Merancourt, journalist and editor-in-chief of Haitian news outlet AyiboPostJacqueline Charles, reporter for the Miami Herald who was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her work covering the 2010 Haiti earthquakeDr. Geralde Gabeau, executive director of the Immigrant Family Services Institute