Haitian Heritage Month is a celebration in the United States of Haitian heritage and culture. It was first celebrated in Boston, Massachusetts in 1998. History Tele Kreyol, one of the Boston Haitian Access Television programs, celebrated the whole month of May in 1998 with a series of programs on Haitian history, culture, and contributions to the world. The month-long celebration has continued with such activities as parades, flag raisings, and exhibits organized by Haitian-Americans United, Inc. (H.A.U.) in collaboration with several Haitian organizations in the New England area. The Haitian community of Palm Beach County, Florida, which started its Heritage celebration in 2001, contributed greatly to make the Heritage Month first a statewide celebration, and then, a national one in the United States. South Florida congressman Kendrick B. Meek introduced unsuccessfully a bill in the United States House of Representatives in 2004 and 2006 to recognize the month of May as Haitian-American Heritage Month in the United States. President George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush sent a letter in May 2005 to congratulate the Haitian-American community for the heritage month and organized a celebration at the White House the same year. Since 1998, several governors, members of state senates and houses of representatives, mayors and city councilors have issued annual citations and proclamations, recognizing the Haitian Heritage Month celebration in their states or cities. Celebrations In 2008, the Haitian Heritage Month/Flag Day was celebrated with parades, festivals, schools activities, and flag raising ceremonies in the following cities and counties in the U.S.: Connecticut Norwich Florida Broward County Delray Beach Palm Beach Miami Beach Miami Dade County Miramar North Miami Orlando Tampa Ft. Lauderdale Boca Raton Collier County Palm Bay Georgia Atlanta Illinois Chicago Massachusetts Boston Brockton Cambridge Lawrence Malden Waltham New Jersey Irvington Trenton New Hampshire Manchester New York Brooklyn Spring Valley Pennsylvania Philadelphia Rhode Island Providence Virginia Roanoke Description The Haitian Heritage Month celebration is an expansion of the Haitian Flag Day, a major patriotic day celebration in Haiti and the Diaspora. Haitian President Dumarsais Estimé started the Flag Day celebration with parades, cultural and athletic events in many cities in Haiti in the 1930s, when he was minister of education under President Sténio Vincent. Estime wanted to commemorate annually the creation of the Haitian flag on May 18 to encourage the development of patriotic sentiments among Haitian youth. Beside the Flag Day celebration, the month of