Last week’s presidential debate introduced one of the most memed moments of this election cycle when former President Donald Trump asserted the debunked claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are stealing and eating people’s pets.

In the week since the cats and dogs narrative reached social media virality, there’ve been at least 30 bomb threats reported across the southwestern Ohio town. The threat of violence has led to emergency closures of schools and government buildings, and a deepening tension of the city’s already taut atmosphere.

Sophia Pierrelus lives an hour away from Springfield in Columbus, Ohio, where she’s witnessed firsthand how the negative portrayals about Haitians have hurt the broader community.

“My children and myself have been threatened,” said Pierrelus, a Haitian immigrant who has been living in the area for 15 years.

The community leader and advocate has been having conversations with community members about next steps. There’s unanimous agreement that there needs to be more education.

“So many Haitians fled their country because of political instability, and they wanted a safe place to be,” Pierrelus said. “... (This) is a repeat of what they were facing in their home.”

Vice President Kamala Harris was asked about the hurtful comments against Haitian migrants Tuesday at a National Association of Black Journalists panel in Philadelphia where she panned Trump saying: “You cannot be entrusted with standing behind the seal of the...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPejUzWnVIV3MzOEZUWTdLeUYt...