Moliere Dimanche (born November 7, 1987) is a Haitian-American artist, author, and prison reform activist.[1] His work focuses on social justice, incarceration, and civil rights.
Dimanche was raised in Orlando. He has written on systemic issues within the U.S. prison system, with works such as It Takes a Criminal to Know One: How the Inspector General and I are One and the Same. His art and writings were featured in Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration by Nicole Fleetwood.[2]
Before becoming a voice in prison reform, he served time in prison for theft of construction materials.[3] While in prison, he litigated a civil rights case in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, Dimanche v. Brown, setting precedent for the future of civil rights cases initiated by incarcerated people under section 1983 of the Ku Klux Klan Act.[4]
Dimanche grew up under financial hardship in Orlando, Florida. At the age of 7, his mother sought refuge with Dimanche and his brothers at the Orlando Union Rescue Mission while she worked to become a cosmetologist and escape poverty with her sons.[6] Dimanche went on to attend West Orange High School.[7]
In 2007, at age 19, Dimanche received a 10-year prison sentence for theft, ultimately serving 8.5 years before his release.[1] In 2016, he was awarded a Pell Grant scholarship[8] to the Florida School of the Arts at St. Johns River State College, where he pursued a degree in Studio Art. During this time, he organized pop-up art exhibitions[9] throughout Florida's First Coast.
Political career
Dimanche entered local politics as a candidate for Mayor of Orlando in the 2023 general election. He also ran for the position of Interim Commissioner after Governor Ron DeSantis suspended Commissioner Regina Hill.[10] While running for Interim Commissioner, Dimanche publicly defended Hill,[11] suggesting the charges against her were politically motivated.[12]
Dimanche did not appear on the ballot in the mayoral race,[13] or the race for interim commissioner[14] after being disqualified over technical issues regarding the payment of qualifying fees.
Dimanche has produced investigative vlogs on YouTube, alleging abuse within the Florida Department of Corrections.[16] He has also traveled across the United States, delivering speeches that connect his artistic work to broader discussions about what he describes as systemic injustice in American prisons.[5]
Dimanche's Redemption series, a portfolio of drawings he made while serving time in prison, earned him a scholarship to the Florida School of the Arts[17] and has been featured in Folio,[18]Salon.com[19] and The Conversation.[20]
Books
It Takes a Criminal to Know One: How the Inspector General and I are One and the Same, Amazon (2016)[21]
↑ Dimanche, Moliere (2016). It Takes a Criminal to Know One: How the Inspector General and I are One and the Same. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN978-1541174283.
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