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{{short description|Human rights advocate from the Dominican Republic}} |
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| ⚫ | [[File:Sonia Pierre with Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama 2010-03-10 (cropped).jpg|thumb|U.S. Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton ]] and First Lady [[Michelle Obama |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}} |
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| ⚫ | '''Solange Pierre''' ( |
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| ⚫ | [[File:Sonia Pierre with Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama 2010-03-10 (cropped).jpg|thumb|U.S. Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton ]] (obscured) and First Lady [[Michelle Obama]] (obscured) stand with Honoree Sonia Pierre of the [[Dominican Republic]] at the 2010 International Women of Courage Awards at the [[United States Department of State|U.S. Department of State]], [[Washington, D.C.]], March 10, 2010]] |
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| ⚫ | '''Solange Pierre''' (July 4, 1963 – December 4, 2011), known as '''Sonia Pierre''', was a [[human rights]] advocate in the [[Dominican Republic]] who worked to end ''[[antihaitianismo]]'', which is discrimination against individuals of Haitian origin either born in [[Haiti]] or in the [[Haitians in the Dominican Republic|Dominican Republic]].<ref name="nytimes.com">[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/29/world/americas/29sonia.html?hp "A Rights Advocate's Work Divides Dominicans"] by Marc Lacey, The New York Times, September 29, 2007.</ref> For this work, she won the 2006 [[Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award]].<ref name="rfkmemorial.org">[http://www.rfkmemorial.org/legacyinaction/2006_Winner/ "DOMINICAN BORN HAITIAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST WINS 2006 RFK HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012181828/http://rfkmemorial.org/legacyinaction/2006_Winner/ |date=October 12, 2007}} Press Release, RFK Memorial Center, accessed September 28, 2007.</ref> |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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Pierre was born in [[Villa Altagracia]], [[San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic]], |
Pierre was born in [[Villa Altagracia]], [[San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic|San Cristóbal]], Dominican Republic, on July 4, 1963<ref name="Franco-Soto (2016)">{{cite book|last1=Franco-Soto|first1=Ana|editor1-last=Knight|editor1-first=Franklin W.|editor2-last=Gates, Jr|editor2-first=Henry Louis|title=Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro–Latin American Biography|date=2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford, England|isbn=978-0-199-93580-2|url=http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199935796.001.0001/acref-9780199935796-e-1661?rskey=Z050bd&result=7|chapter=Pierre, Sonia (1963–2011)}} {{subscription required|via=[http://www.oxfordreference.com/ Oxford University Press]'s Reference Online}}</ref> to parents of Haitian origin (her mother migrated with a temporary work permit in 1957 but overstayed this permit, and her father entered the Dominican territory irregularly).<ref name=Hoy-JMRamirez>{{cite news|last1=Ramírez|first1=Juan M.|title=Critican quieran anular acta nacimiento Sonia Pierre|access-date=January 2, 2015|url=http://hoy.com.do/critican-quieran-anular-acta-nacimiento-sonia-pierre/|publisher=Hoy|date=March 31, 2007|language=es}}</ref><ref name=LD-PilarMoreno>{{cite news|last1=Moreno|first1=Pilar|title=JCE pedirá anulación acta de nacimiento Sonia Pierre|url=http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2007/3/30/7942/JCE-pedira-anulacion-acta-de-nacimiento-Sonia-Pierre|access-date=January 2, 2015|publisher=[[Listín Diario]]|date=March 30, 2007|location=Santo Domingo|language=es}}</ref> One of twelve children,<ref name="washingtonpost2006">[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/17/AR2006111700939.html "Activist Sonia Pierre Receives RFK Award"] by Andrew Miga, The Associated Press, printed in the Washington Post, November 17, 2006.</ref> she was raised in a migrant worker camp called a ''[[Batey (sugar workers' town)|batey]]'', where many of Haitian descent live. Her birth certificate lists her name as '''Solain Pie''', which Pierre "says is the result of an error by a government clerk."<ref name="nytimes.com"/> Her nationality was disputed by the ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Junta Central Electoral|es}}'' on the grounds that her birth certificate is forged, the residence status of her Haitian parents and the lack of evidentiary documentation from Haiti.<ref name=Hoy-JMRamirez/><ref name=LD-PilarMoreno/><ref>[http://dominicanoshoy.com/articulos/archivos/2010/marzo/articulo/jurista-asegura-sonia-pierre-no-es-dominicana/ "Jurista asegura Sonia Pierre no es dominicana" ''Dominican jurist affirms that Solange Pierre is not Dominican"''] by Antonio Santana. March 11, 2010 [[dominicanoshoy.com]]</ref> |
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At the age 14, she organized a five-day protest by sugar cane workers on one of the country's bateyes, which led to her being arrested. However, the protest attracted enough public attention that the workers' |
At the age of 14, she organized a five-day protest by sugar cane workers on one of the country's bateyes, which led to her being arrested. However, the protest attracted enough public attention that the workers' demands {{en dash}} namely, to have their living quarters painted and be given better tools and pay raises {{en dash}} were met.<ref name="haitisupport.gn.apc.org">[http://haitisupport.gn.apc.org/Sonia.htm "Dominican-born Sonia Pierre Wins Amnesty International's 2003 Human Rights Award for Working for Her People"] by Tequila Minsky, April 2003, Haitian Support Group website, accessed September 29, 2007.</ref> |
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== Career == |
== Career == |
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Pierre worked as director of the non-governmental organization Movement for Dominican Women of Haitian Descent (MUDHA),<ref name="rfkmemorial.org" /> which aims to end [[antihaitianismo]] or bias against individuals from Haiti or people of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic. |
Pierre worked as director of the non-governmental organization Movement for Dominican Women of Haitian Descent (MUDHA),<ref name="rfkmemorial.org" /> which aims to end [[antihaitianismo]] or bias against individuals from Haiti or people of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic. |
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In 2005, Pierre petitioned the [[Inter-American Court of Human Rights]] on the case of two ethnic Haitian children who were denied Dominican birth certificates. Called ''Yean and Bosico v. Dominican Republic'', the case "upheld human rights laws prohibiting racial discrimination in access to nationality and citizenship."<ref name="rfkmemorial.org"/> The court also ordered the Dominican government to provide the birth certificates. |
In 2005, Pierre petitioned the [[Inter-American Court of Human Rights]] on the case of two ethnic Haitian children who were denied Dominican birth certificates. Called ''Yean and Bosico v. Dominican Republic'', the case "upheld human rights laws prohibiting racial discrimination in access to nationality and citizenship."<ref name="rfkmemorial.org"/> The court also ordered the Dominican government to provide the birth certificates. |
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However, the Dominican Supreme Court later ruled that Haitian workers using work |
However, the Dominican Supreme Court later ruled that Haitian workers using work visas were considered 'in transit' or 'not legally in the country' and that their children were therefore not entitled to citizenship."<ref name="nytimes.com"/> |
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== Awards and honors == |
== Awards and honors == |
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| ⚫ | For her work, Pierre won the 2006 [[Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award]] handed down by former US [[United States Senate|Senator]] [[Ted Kennedy]].<ref name="rfkmemorial.org"/> In presenting the award to Pierre, Kennedy quoted a longtime friend of hers who said: "I am a better person today for having met, worked, and traveled this road with Sonia Pierre. With certitude, I can affirm that Sonia is one of the most selfless, courageous and compassionate human beings of my generation."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=4785 |title=Dominican Activist Sonia Pierre Receives RFK Award |publisher=blog.thedemocraticdaily.com |access-date=November 4, 2013}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Pierre also won [[Amnesty International]]'s 2003 Human Rights [[Ginetta Sagan|Ginetta Sagan Fund Award]],<ref name="haitisupport.gn.apc.org"/> and she and MUDHA were nominated for the [[UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights|UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education]] in 2002.<ref>"Interview: Solange Pierre, focusing on Dominican-Haitian immigration" by Charles Arthur, Latin American Press, October 16, 2002.</ref> |
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| ⚫ | For her work, Pierre won the 2006 [[Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award]] handed down by former US Senator [[Ted Kennedy]] |
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| ⚫ | In 2008, she was awarded the [[Giuseppe Motta Medal]] for the protection of human rights.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://motta.gidd.eu.org/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222040927/http://motta.gidd.eu.org/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 22, 2014|title=Giuseppe Motta Medal|date=February 22, 2014|access-date=December 28, 2019}}</ref> She was also honored by the [[United States Department of State]] with a 2010 [[International Women of Courage Award]].<ref name="FlickrPhoto">{{cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/statephotos/4438235026/in/set-72157623477111177|title=Secretary Clinton With First Lady Michelle Obama and Honoree Sonia Pierre of the Dominican Republic|publisher=United States Department of State|date=March 3, 2010|access-date=August 7, 2010}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Pierre also won [[Amnesty International]]'s 2003 Human Rights [[Ginetta Sagan Fund Award]],<ref name="haitisupport.gn.apc.org"/> and she and MUDHA were nominated for the [[UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education]] in 2002.<ref>"Interview: Solange Pierre, focusing on Dominican-Haitian immigration" by Charles Arthur, Latin American Press, |
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| ⚫ | In 2008, she was awarded the [[Giuseppe Motta Medal]] for protection of human rights.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222040927/http://motta.gidd.eu.org/|title=Giuseppe Motta Medal|date= |
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== Death == |
== Death == |
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On December 4, 2011, Pierre died at the age of 48 from a heart attack while being rushed to the hospital in Villa Altagracia, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dispatch/obituary.aspx?n=sonia-pierre&pid=154907416 |title=Sonia Pierre Obituary: View Sonia Pierre's Obituary by The Columbus Dispatch |publisher=Legacy.com |date= |
On December 4, 2011, Pierre died at the age of 48 from a heart attack while being rushed to the hospital in Villa Altagracia, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dispatch/obituary.aspx?n=sonia-pierre&pid=154907416 |title=Sonia Pierre Obituary: View Sonia Pierre's Obituary by The Columbus Dispatch |date=December 4, 2011 |publisher=Legacy.com |access-date=December 5, 2011}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[Juliana Deguis]] |
*[[Juliana Deguis]] |
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*[[Mamá Tingó |
*[[Mamá Tingó]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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[[Category:1963 births]] |
[[Category:1963 births]] |
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[[Category:2011 deaths]] |
[[Category:2011 deaths]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Haitian women activists]] |
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[[Category:Women human rights activists]] |
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[[Category:Recipients of the International Women of Courage Award]] |
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[[Category:Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award laureates]] |
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Latest revision as of 03:43, 18 March 2024
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Solange Pierre (July 4, 1963 – December 4, 2011), known as Sonia Pierre, was a human rights advocate in the Dominican Republic who worked to end antihaitianismo, which is discrimination against individuals of Haitian origin either born in Haiti or in the Dominican Republic.[1] For this work, she won the 2006 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award.[2]
Early life
[edit]Pierre was born in Villa Altagracia, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic, on July 4, 1963[3] to parents of Haitian origin (her mother migrated with a temporary work permit in 1957 but overstayed this permit, and her father entered the Dominican territory irregularly).[4][5] One of twelve children,[6] she was raised in a migrant worker camp called a batey, where many of Haitian descent live. Her birth certificate lists her name as Solain Pie, which Pierre "says is the result of an error by a government clerk."[1] Her nationality was disputed by the Junta Central Electoral on the grounds that her birth certificate is forged, the residence status of her Haitian parents and the lack of evidentiary documentation from Haiti.[4][5][7]
At the age of 14, she organized a five-day protest by sugar cane workers on one of the country's bateyes, which led to her being arrested. However, the protest attracted enough public attention that the workers' demands – namely, to have their living quarters painted and be given better tools and pay raises – were met.[8]
Career
[edit]Pierre became an activist at the age of 14, when she was arrested for being the spokesperson of a group of Haitian sugar-cane cutters in her migrant labor village who were protesting for better wages and living conditions.
Pierre worked as director of the non-governmental organization Movement for Dominican Women of Haitian Descent (MUDHA),[2] which aims to end antihaitianismo or bias against individuals from Haiti or people of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic.
In 2005, Pierre petitioned the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on the case of two ethnic Haitian children who were denied Dominican birth certificates. Called Yean and Bosico v. Dominican Republic, the case "upheld human rights laws prohibiting racial discrimination in access to nationality and citizenship."[2] The court also ordered the Dominican government to provide the birth certificates.
However, the Dominican Supreme Court later ruled that Haitian workers using work visas were considered 'in transit' or 'not legally in the country' and that their children were therefore not entitled to citizenship."[1]
Awards and honors
[edit]For her work, Pierre won the 2006 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award handed down by former US Senator Ted Kennedy.[2] In presenting the award to Pierre, Kennedy quoted a longtime friend of hers who said: "I am a better person today for having met, worked, and traveled this road with Sonia Pierre. With certitude, I can affirm that Sonia is one of the most selfless, courageous and compassionate human beings of my generation."[9]
Pierre also won Amnesty International's 2003 Human Rights Ginetta Sagan Fund Award,[8] and she and MUDHA were nominated for the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education in 2002.[10]
In 2008, she was awarded the Giuseppe Motta Medal for the protection of human rights.[11] She was also honored by the United States Department of State with a 2010 International Women of Courage Award.[12]
Death
[edit]On December 4, 2011, Pierre died at the age of 48 from a heart attack while being rushed to the hospital in Villa Altagracia, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic.[13]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c "A Rights Advocate's Work Divides Dominicans" by Marc Lacey, The New York Times, September 29, 2007.
- ^ a b c d "DOMINICAN BORN HAITIAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST WINS 2006 RFK HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD" Archived October 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Press Release, RFK Memorial Center, accessed September 28, 2007.
- ^ Franco-Soto, Ana (2016). "Pierre, Sonia (1963–2011)". In Knight, Franklin W.; Gates, Jr, Henry Louis (eds.). Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro–Latin American Biography. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-199-93580-2. – via Oxford University Press's Reference Online (subscription required)
- ^ a b Ramírez, Juan M. (March 31, 2007). "Critican quieran anular acta nacimiento Sonia Pierre" (in Spanish). Hoy. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ^ a b Moreno, Pilar (March 30, 2007). "JCE pedirá anulación acta de nacimiento Sonia Pierre" (in Spanish). Santo Domingo: Listín Diario. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ^ "Activist Sonia Pierre Receives RFK Award" by Andrew Miga, The Associated Press, printed in the Washington Post, November 17, 2006.
- ^ "Jurista asegura Sonia Pierre no es dominicana" Dominican jurist affirms that Solange Pierre is not Dominican" by Antonio Santana. March 11, 2010 dominicanoshoy.com
- ^ a b "Dominican-born Sonia Pierre Wins Amnesty International's 2003 Human Rights Award for Working for Her People" by Tequila Minsky, April 2003, Haitian Support Group website, accessed September 29, 2007.
- ^ "Dominican Activist Sonia Pierre Receives RFK Award". blog.thedemocraticdaily.com. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
- ^ "Interview: Solange Pierre, focusing on Dominican-Haitian immigration" by Charles Arthur, Latin American Press, October 16, 2002.
- ^ "Giuseppe Motta Medal". February 22, 2014. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
- ^ "Secretary Clinton With First Lady Michelle Obama and Honoree Sonia Pierre of the Dominican Republic". United States Department of State. March 3, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ^ "Sonia Pierre Obituary: View Sonia Pierre's Obituary by The Columbus Dispatch". Legacy.com. December 4, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
External links
[edit]- Leticia Pierre remembers her mother's legacy, video from Barnard Center for Research on Women [1]