The border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti is more than a line in the soil. It is a wound cauterized by silence, reopened by every racialized deportation, every denial of identity, every unspoken legacy of the 1937 Parsley Massacre that killed as many as 30,000 Haitians and Black Dominicans. Through the voices of writers and activists, this piece explores how memory, literature, and solidarity are reshaping the narrative and healing the scars of history on Hispaniola

The day begins before sunrise. By 5:00 a.m., in homes across Central Florida, mothers are carefully gathering false lashes, hairspray, rhinestone-studded headpieces, safety pins, and energy bars. Competitive dance day has arrived, and while the audience sees perfection under the spotlight, the preparation behind the curtain is a finely choreographed routine of its own.