Opinion: Arthur Ashe is Turning in His Grave at the Treatment of Haitian Refugees

By: Zachary Draves

The Crito on the Statue of Liberty says “give me your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free.”

At this point, we either live up to that principle or we paint over, and while we are at it have Lady Liberty give the middle finger.

The horrific images that we saw of border patrol agents playing cowboy on horseback using whips and horse reins to viciously attack Haitian refugees yearning for freedom has many asking is this 2021 or 1851?

The mere sight of white men on horseback assaulting black bodies in broad daylight harkens back to the horrors of slavery. 

Not only that, we have mean-spirited and xenophobic rhetoric and policy proposals coming from politicians and commentators who are working day and night to justify this brutality and portray these people as being a threat to America when in reality they are looking for that safe haven that America claims to be. 

While we are at, we have a federal administration that was supposed to change the course that is repeating the policies of their predecessors. 

Haiti has endured another earthquake, continuous political corruption, the assassination of its president and subsequent coup, and horrific levels of poverty and violence in this year alone. 

And yet, that isn’t enough to give them basic care and compassion? 

If these people were fleeing from Cuba, Sweden, or Canada and had a different skin pigmentation god knows this would never happen. 

These images got me thinking about the late Tennis legend and civil rights activist Arthur Ashe. 

The reason being was that in the final months of his life as AIDS was slowly killing him, he was on the frontlines trying to protect the lives of Haitian refugees.

In 1992, the U.S. had a formal policy in place that essentially forced Haitians back to their homeland on the grounds they were merely “economic refugees” and not fleeing political persecution. 

When in reality, Haiti was under military rule at that time and people were risking their lives, overcrowded in makeshift boats, and some even drowned trying to escape a living hell. 

This policy was exacerbated by the AIDS crisis that hit the Haitian community particularly hard and there was plenty of fearmongering to go around that led to Haitians who were HIV positive being denied entry.  

Then-President George H. W. Bush upheld that policy and Arthur was not having it. 

In September of that year, Arthur along with other activists from the NAACP and TransAfrica, protested outside the White House demanding that Haitian Refugees seek asylum. 

(Courtesy: Richmond Magazine)

He stood behind a banner that read “Haitians Locked Out Because They’re Black” and was eventually arrested in the protest. 

(Courtesy: The Undefeated)

That was Arthur at his best and I can only imagine what he would have been thinking if we were still around today to see history repeat itself. 

He is turning in his grave as we speak. 

We do his legacy of advocating against oppression whether it was Apartheid in South Africa or the mistreatment of Haitians, a great disservice by not ensuring that vulnerable people are protected.

We need to stop this inhumanity. 

We owe it to the people of Haiti, we owe it to those fleeing persecution, we owe it to black people all over the globe, and we owe it to Arthur Ashe.