Councilman Alix Desulme: The Power of Individual Voices, Florida

In early 2020 (just weeks before the pandemic), Smithsonian staff and their storytelling partners at the Peale, Baltimore, traveled to multiple states in the U.S. to ask residents of those states about voting experiences, the current state of American democracy, what issues brought them to the polls, how they made a difference in their communities, and what Americans' civic responsibilities were, among other complex questions.

Councilman Alix Desulme: I've been a public servant my entire life, starting from middle school into high school. I started doing rallies, making sure that the students' right was being heard, if the administration was not listening to the students, and attending council meetings at night just to be the voice for my fellow high school student.

(00:25) So my activism and community service, being of public service, started very, very young. I ran for public office, the first time at 23. I ran three time before I was elected and I became the first Black city clerk for the city of North Miami. And all that involved my public experience, being in the community, attending different activities, the boards. Serving on several boards, kids my age was not really into.

(00:55) So my personal opinion has been a little bit of both. A little shocking because I finally came to the conclusion I am a public servant at heart and that means that you have to make a lot of sacrifices and a lot of things you have to do. As far as the personal rewarding, to be elected, to have the honor of folks putting their trust into you, going to vote for you, it has been truly an honor. So it's both been personal and also a different experience to have a both perspective, being in public service for over 20 years now. It's very rewarding.

(01:37) And it's interesting because being an elected official, I get the... I don't want to use the word privilege, but both sides because being an activist, being very active from public service and then to serve in a capacity of being elected. The residents, the constituents, us, the people, really matters. I mean, a lot of times they don't understand the power that they have within themselves.

(02:05) But I do think that folks being more engaged is definitely a prime example. Emailing, calling, whatever that you need to do, don't think that your elected official or whoever's in power are not listening. And trust me, one person do move mountains. And a lot of times, because of certain things in the way government works, in the way the layer works, it may takes longer.

(02:32) But if I don't hear nothing regarding a sidewalk, I'm thinking it's okay. But if one person says something, then I am aware of that sidewalk. And that one person usually get that sidewalk fixed and then their neighbors will be like, "How did that happen?" Well, I don't know, there's over 15 or 16,000 people in a little area. But if one person say something, then now, the whole community, the city's aware, the government is aware, and we cannot ignore that one person.

Asset ID: 2022.35.01.a-b
Themes: Public service, advocacy, student activism, community service, community action, civic duty, participation, elections, running for office
Date recorded: January 9, 2020
Length of recording: 0:03:10
Related traveling exhibition: Voices and Votes: Democracy in America
Sponsor or affiliated organization: Haitian Heritage Museum in conjunction with Florida Humanities
More information or related assets: https://www.haitianheritagemuseum.org/voices-and-votes-democracy-in-america/