Haitian culture is deeply woven into the fabric of Indiana’s diverse communities. Indiana is home to 20,000 Haitians according to the Haitian Association of Indiana. This year saw the 15th annual Haitian Flag Day celebration. Individuals like Websder Corneille and Geoffrey Fenelus exemplify this influence through their daily work. Despite being far from home, both men continue to carry the spirit of Haiti with them, touching the lives of those they encounter.
Websder Corneille, who works as a Haitian Creole ESL interventionist at Promise Prep Elementary in Lawrence, Indiana, works to bridge the gap between Haitian families and the education system. At the school, where about a third of the student population speaks Haitian Creole, Corneille’s presence provides familiarity and comfort to both parents and children. As the only Haitian Creole speaker on staff, his role extends beyond academics—he supports families in navigating school procedures and accessing social services, embodying the Haitian ethos of community and resilience.
When asked what drove him to a career in language, Corneille told the story of grocery shopping with family.
“When I was I younger, my mom and I would often go to the supermarket,” Corneille told the Indianapolis Recorder. “I think that spending a lot of time in the supermarket with my mother was the beginning. What drove me even further was an interest in critical discussion and analysis. Language is not only a vehicle to communicate, but a way to understand what is happening on the ground and in the culture.”
Corneille’s influence goes beyond his work with children. Recently named an adjunct lecturer at Indiana University Bloomington, Corneille is contributing to academia, furthering Haitian representation in American higher education. His journey from Haiti, where he pursued studies in psychosociology, to becoming a key community figure in Indiana, reflects how Haitians abroad continue to shape and contribute to the societies they become a part of.
Similarly, Geoffrey Fenelus, a community leader and advisor in Indiana by way of Brooklyn, New York has been active in building bridges within multicultural spaces. Fenelus’s background in social and community work has allowed him to leverage his Haitian heritage to serve as a leader in fostering intercultural understanding.
His advocacy for inclusive spaces highlights the importance of embracing one’s roots, even in places far from home. Fenelus’s work emphasizes that culture is not confined to geographic boundaries—it travels with people and becomes an integral part of the new environments they inhabit.
Fenelus shared how he believes his Haitian culture and heritage plays a vital role in his everyday life.
“I grew up in a very culturally-rich community that connected Blackness to a larger diaspora to many different ways,” Fenelus said.
Both Corneille and Fenelus showcase the resilience and adaptability that characterize the Haitian spirit. While they may live in the United States, Haiti continues to live in them—through their language, traditions and sense of community. This cultural influence extends far beyond the individual; it shapes the spaces and communities they are part of, enriching the cultural diversity of Indiana.
Haitians in Indiana are part of a broader story of immigrants and diasporic communities who bring their cultures into new lands, contributing to the social fabric and encouraging others to celebrate their origins. For Indiana’s Haitian community, this cultural resilience is not only a source of personal pride but also a beacon of shared humanity that transcends the challenges of migration and settlement.
“Culturally, what you are taught about Haiti is not what people see on a television screen,” Fenelus said. “There is a lot of beauty, there is a lot of culture, there is a lot of richness, there is a lot of resilience that comes from Haiti.”
Fenelus believes the sky is the limit for Haitian culture in the Circle City.
“This place is growing and has a chance to be something like a Haiti 2.0,” Fenelus said. “Indianapolis is in the middle of something great. This city has a chance to become even more diverse in the long run.”
Contact multi-media & senior sports reporter Noral Parham III at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more news from the Indianapolis Recorder, click here.
