Jacques Valmidor, Le dernier adieu
Marx Aristide was buried at Cypress Hill Cemetery on Saturday, June 26. The hall at the funeral home was overflowing.
Rick Reinhard
Marx-Vilaire Aristide
The wake for Marx Aristide was held on Friday, June 25 from 5:00 to
9:00 p.m. at the Andrew Torregrossa & Sons Funeral Home, 2265 Flatbush
Avenue (corner of Avenue U) in Brooklyn. The funeral was at the same
location the next day from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m.
As many of you know, Marx passed away on June 20, 2004 as a result of a tragic car accident. His funeral was held in Brooklyn, New York on the 26th of June in the presence of several hundred family members, friends, and well wishers. Marx is survived by his daughter, parents, brother, sister, fiancée, as well as many other loving family members and friends.
Marx lived in the Washington, DC area for over 10 years during which, he acquired a Master?s in Economics at Howard University, served as the co-Director of the Quixote Center, Executive Director of the Washington Office on Haiti, co-founder of Kalfou Kreyòl, and publisher of Roots. His most recent projects included the launching of the Haitian-American Skill Share Foundation and the organizing of the unprecedented cruise to commemorate the bicentennial of Haiti?s independence with the likes of Ron Daniels and Danny Glover.
One of Marx?s passions and strengths was his love and dedication to his seven-year old daughter, Anaïse Aristide. In honoring Marx, a trust fund has been established to help defray the costs of her college education. Contributions are being accepted at this time. Please make all checks or money order payable to Anaïse Aristide and forward your name, and/or organization, contact information, and contributions to:
Anaïse Aristide Educational Fund
P.O. Box 76521
Washington, DC 20013
Please email friendsofmarx@yahoo.com for more information.
This news story ran in the Washington Post:
Haiti Activist Dies After Crash
By Del Quentin Wilber and Martin Weil
One of this country’s most prominent activists for democracy and development in Haiti was fatally injured over the weekend when his car was struck by a stolen vehicle driven by a teenager, D.C. police said.
Marx Aristide, 37, of Silver Spring and a 30-year-old Maryland woman who was described by friends as his fiancee, were hit Saturday evening in Northwest Washington, police said.
Aristide, an economist who had once run the Washington Office on Haiti, a nonprofit human rights group, was described as an eloquent voice for his native island. He died about noon Sunday at Howard University Hospital, police said.
Authorities declined to identify the woman, calling her a witness to the accident, which occurred about 6:25 p.m. Saturday at Florida Avenue and 14th Street.
The 14-year-old driver of the stolen Jeep was charged with second-degree murder, leaving an accident and reckless driving, police said.
News reports of Aristide’s writing and speaking, and associates interviewed yesterday, portrayed him as vigorous in urging Haitian Americans to contribute their talents and energies to help relieve Haiti’s grinding poverty.
“He started a nonprofit organization called the Skill Share Foundation,” said Haitian American leader Mildred Charles. The group reached out to Haitian expatriates to “share their knowledge and expertise in trying to rebuild Haiti,” he said.
In addition, after Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide was apparently forced from office this year — an action to which Marx Aristide objected — he went to Haiti to observe the new interim government and the state of human rights, according to Washington-based rights activist Nicole Lee.
She said that he told audiences that despite his name, he was related to neither President Aristide nor Karl Marx.
Friends said that after president Aristide left office, Marx Aristide “was very active in challenging” what he considered U.S. policies that had driven him out. He and two others were to discuss Haiti yesterday with the editorial board of The Washington Post; the meeting was canceled.
Bill Fletcher Jr. of TransAfrica Forum, who was to head the delegation, said Aristide would have brought “a visceral connection . . . with the people and the situation in Haiti that was unique.”
Marx Aristide was born in the Haitian city of Gonaives, studied at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and did graduate work at Howard University.
His mother lives in New York and he had a daughter, friends said.
Police said that Marx Aristide was headed east on Florida Avenue when his Toyota was struck by the Jeep, which was headed south at high speed on 14th Street NW. The Jeep’s driver and another 14-year-old in the car ran but were later arrested, police said. They were not identified because of their age.
Marx Aristide’s “life was a message to us all, to stand up and fight for what is right,” Mildred Charles said.
With our deepest Sympathy,
The Haitian-American Intellectual Property Association (HAIPA) is deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Marx Aristide. Mr. Aristide was a good friend to many of us at HAIPA. He was a very positive, dynamic, and resourceful individual. He was always very determined to do his part in the development of his beloved country, Haiti. Through his bold initiatives, he has left his indelible mark in our community, and we believe that in spirit he will continue to fight on with us for a brighter Haiti.
Our deepest and most sincere condolences to his family, all who knew him, and to the Haitian Community at large!
Dear Friends/Comrades:
I am deeply saddened to inform those of you who have not already received the word, that Marx Vilaire Aristide, an able political-economist, creative cultural worker, founding member and Trustee of the Haiti Support Project and passionate and committed advocate for the cause of self-determination, democracy and development of Haiti and her people, has died of severe injuries incurred from a terrible automobile accident which occurred yesterday. Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to his family and his fiancee (we will provide a contact information once we have received it from his family).
Marx’s death is a great loss to the Haitian/ African liberation movement and the Haiti Support Project which he served and represented so well. Marx recently facilitated two HSP Team visits to Haiti in the last eight weeks to prepare for the arrival of Cruising Into History August 19. He also facilitated a major delegation which conducted an extensive inquiry into the coup that ousted President Jean Bertrand Aristide.
In January he was a panelist for a major forum on the future of democracy and development in Haiti which the Haiti Support Project convened at the Union Temple Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. which was shown several times on C-SPAN. During the civil unrest and coup that occurred in Haiti in late February and early March he appeared on ABC Nightline and a host of local and national radio and television outlets. Just last week, I was with Marx in D.C. at an outstanding Conference on Globalization in the African World sponsored by the Trans Africa Forum. In the workshop and plenary session, where Marx made an excellent power point presentation, he was analytical, clear, incisive, persuasive and inspiring — as usual.
We have lost a great intellect, activist, warrior, warm and wonderful human being, brother and friend. Marx Vilaire Aristide will be sorely missed. We must redouble our efforts to work to bring his vision of a free, democratic and economically viable/sustainable Haiti to fruition in the first half of this century. May God bless the spirit/soul of our youngest ancestor.
Ron Daniels, Chairman
Haiti Support Project
We will sorely miss him.