The Haitian Adventist community of Massachusetts is growing by leaps and bounds, and no more so than in the City of Brockton. After the closure of the storied but rather troubled institution known as Atlantic Union College, the black SDA community focused its efforts on supporting its churches and schools, learning from the mistakes made by previous generations. The future of the black SDA community of Massachusetts rests on the shoulders of its young black women and young black men. They must band together in the name of survival in uncertain times...
Among black SDA attendees, the fastest growing group is the Haitian American community. For the most part, these people are newcomers to America, having settled in the Boston area in recent years. The Haitian community blueprint is well known, the men work in construction, security, or as day laborers of some kind. The women work in the fields of nursing or teaching for the most part. Within a decade of moving to America, most Haitians achieve the twin dreams of homeownership and citizenship, which sets the stage for the next generation of Haitians. It's the secret of their success.
The sun rose over the City of Brockton, Massachusetts. It was Saturday, and like a good Seventh Day Adventist, Thomas Janvier, also known as T.J. was getting ready for church. The tall, dark-skinned young Haitian looked forward to going to church today. He was training for the Deacon Program under the tutelage of Deaconess Judith Marcelin, daughter of Pastor James Marcelin himself. The brother was getting an education money can't buy at the black church, for real...
"Go get the ladies," T.J.'s father, Leonard Janvier, as he looked at his son. The tall, dark-skinned, silver-haired Haitian patriarch looked like an older version of T.J. normally, Leonard Janvier, dedicated father and widower would go to church with his son but nowadays, he had other commitments. He has to work every other weekend as the supervisor of a security team in downtown Boston. The things a man must do to pay the bills.
"You know it, Dad," T.J. replied as he hugged his father goodbye. Leonard Janvier drove his son to the Haitian SDA Church, located not far from the Brockton Area Transit Center. As they neared the church, they spotted a group of well-dressed young Afro-Caribbean women on their way there. Father and son looked at the ladies, and Leonard saw disappointment in T.J.'s eyes, for none of these young Afro-Caribbean ladies was his chosen one...