Moliere Dimanche

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.

Moliere Dimanche
Personal details
Born	(1987-11-07) November 7, 1987 (age 37) Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Independent
Education	St. Johns River State College (AA)
Website	Campaign website

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]

His art has been featured in The Conversation, and he has spoken at the International Center of Photography on the intersection of art and activism.^[5]

Early life and education

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.

Civil rights litigation

In 2015, Dimanche was involved in Dimanche v. Brown,^[15] decided by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The court reversed and remanded a lower court’s decision, establishing new precedent under the Prison Litigation Reform Act. The ruling clarified that inmates facing threats or retaliation from staff could bypass the institutional grievance process and appeal directly to an agency's headquarters.

Incorporating Pine Hills into a municipality

After the Killing of Dylan Lyons, T'Yonna Major and Nathacha Augustin on February 22, 2023, advocates for public safety in Pine Hills held a town hall expressing their frustration with the lack of law enforcement resources and the failures of the Orange County Sheriff's Office on the day of the triple murder.^[16] Dimanche questioned why the sheriff was not present at the town hall to hear the cries of the family of T'Yonna Major, and proposed incorporating Pine Hills into its own municipality in order to secure a law enforcement presence in the area.

Dimanche asserted that public safety was the top priority in Pine Hills, and that the purpose of the push for incorporation was to put an end to crime in the area.^[17] According to University of Central Florida senior lecturer Jim Clark, it had been more than 60 years since the last discussion of incorporating Pine Hills into a municipality took place.

Advocacy and other ventures

Dimanche has produced investigative vlogs on YouTube, alleging abuse within the Florida Department of Corrections.^[18] 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]

Works

Pills and Potion (2016), pencil drawing

The Verdict (2013), pencil drawing

Aspirin (2015), pencil drawing

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^[19] and has been featured in Folio,^[20] Salon.com^[21] and The Conversation.^[22]

Books

• It Takes a Criminal to Know One: How the Inspector General and I are One and the Same, Amazon (2016)^[23]