Miami advocacy group expands its mission to empower immigrants | Opinion
In 2018, FANM, the advocacy and social agency organization I founded, was contemplating rebranding itself. Some believed we should stick with our original name Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami/Haitian Women of Miami. Others thought differently.
After a long and tedious process that involved FANM staff, community members and leaders, the new name, Family Action Network Movement, became final. It reflects FANM’s expanded myriad of services to people of diverse backgrounds in Miami Dade County. FANM has had an impact in the lives of more than 10,000 children, women, and men and built a village network where immigrants and local residents feel welcome. We reach thousands weekly through our radio show, Vwa FANM, and our advocacy work inspires people to passionately organize around civic and other issues close to their hearts.
We measure our success through those we help, like in the case of young Toby, a student who attends our after-school programs powered by The Children’s Trust and the city of Miami. Toby’s constant outbursts prompted calls from some parents and students to expel him from the program, a decision that could later feed the school-to-prison pipeline and have a disastrous affect on his future.
His demeanor and attitude changed after interacting with our social workers, who showered him with acceptance, patience and love. I’ll never forget the day he gave me a big hug and proudly showed me his newly completed drawing. He responded to my praise with a gleeful smile, radiating with hope.
Toby was just an anxious boy wanting to burst forth from his cocoon.
Similarly, when Cherise came to our adult-education and computer-training classes for the first time, she did not know where the on/off button was, and she didn’t know how to read. She was lost, helpless. Now, she can check her child’s online school portal, read and write on her own and even tutors newcomers in class. She feels powerful, formidable. She is whole.
FANM has helped so many people like Toby and Cherise. Its advocacy work has also become a large part of its organization. Last year, FANM successfully led two big delegations of TPS recipients from Haïti, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua — and their U.S.-born children — to Washington D.C., to advocate for a permanent solution with a path to citizenship. FANM was also one of the plaintiffs in the case of Saget vs Trump, led by Ira Kurzban and his law team.
As a result, we protected thousands from deportation until at least Jan. 2, 2021. Additionally, alongside our strategic legal partner Community Justice Project, FANM shed light on the painful issues of climate gentrification, affordable housing and predatory development in Miami. Under the leadership of the Southern Poverty Law Center, FANM joined nine other groups to sue the state of Florida for its controversial “anti-sanctuary city” law, empowering members to flex their political muscles and strengthen their collective voices.
As a founding member of the Miami Climate Alliance, we are fighting to transition to a 100 percent clean-energy environment to build a sustainable future for us all. And for several weeks now, FANM has delegated 20 canvassers and volunteers on all hard to reach corners to get a complete 2020 census count in order to secure our community’s fair share of federal resources.
FANM made the right decision to rebrand. It mission is to empower low- to moderate-income families socially, financially and politically and to give them the tools to transform their communities and villages.
Community members are invited to FANM’s annual fundraising gala, 7 p.m. March 7, at the Kovens Center on the campus of FIU North. Visit www.fanm.org for more information.
Marleine Bastien is the executive director of Family Action Network Movement (FANM).