Guerline Jozef

Guerline Jozef
Organization	Haitian Bridge Alliance

Guerline Jozef is a Haitian-American activist who is co-founder and the executive director of the nonprofit Haitian Bridge Alliance.

Biography

Guerline M. Jozef is a globally recognized human rights advocate, thought leader, and strategist whose fearless leadership has transformed the conversation on migration, race, and justice. As the Founder and Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA)—the only Black-led, women-led, Haitian-American-led organization serving migrants at the U.S.–Mexico border—she has built a movement that centers people of African descent in migration while amplifying the voices of the most marginalized. She is also the visionary behind Tales from the Borderlands and Beyond, and co-founder of both the Black Immigrants Bail Fund (BIBF) and the Cameroon Advocacy Network.

Her influence has been recognized nationally and internationally. She was named one of <ref>POLITICO’s 2021 “40 Most Influential People on Race, Politics, and Policy,” the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, and was named to the BBC’s Top 100 Women List of 2024. More recently, she was honored with the AFL-CIO’s 2024 GMLK Human Rights Award, the 2024 Haitian Impact Awards, and the 2023 Midwin Charles Legacy Award from the 1804 Haitian Roundtable. She has also been recognized by the Women’s Refugee Commission (Voices of Courage Award, 2024), the Haitian Times (Newsmaker of the Year, 2022), the National Haitian-American Elected Officials Network, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award.

A commanding presence in the global human rights arena, Ms. Jozef has been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, Time Magazine, The Miami Herald, and Democracy Now. She has testified before the United Nations, the United States Congress, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), and recently brought her advocacy to the international stage during the IV International Congressional and Parliament Forum in Barranquilla, Colombia.

Guerline went to the border for Haitians—but she stayed for everyone seeking safety and protection. Today, she stands as one of the most powerful advocates of our time, bridging local struggles with global human rights movements and shaping a more just future for all.

Awards

2021: 40 Most Influential People on Race, Politics, and Policy, Politico

2021: Border Heroes Award, Las Americas

2021: Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award

2022: Community Champion Award, Haitian-American Elected Officials Network

2022: Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award, American Immigration Lawyers Association

2022: Newsmaker of 2022, The Haitian Times

2024: 100 Women, BBC Dutty Bookman Award