Dotie Joseph

I am Dotie Joseph, a proud public servant representing Florida House District 108 in Miami-Dade County. Born in Haiti and raised in North Miami, I attended Miami-Dade public schools across the district, including Lakeview Elementary, Charles R. Drew Elementary, Miami Norland Middle School, and Design and Architecture Senior High. I went on to earn an honors degree in Political Science from Yale University, where I co-founded Klib Kreyol, the Haitian Student Alliance, and studied post-colonial relations at Columbia University in Paris. I also hold a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center, where I represented political asylum seekers and served as President of the Caribbean Law Student’s Association. Additionally, I have a diploma in Mediation and Conflict Resolution from the Institute for International Mediation and Conflict Resolution.

As a Black immigrant woman who attended Miami-Dade public schools and then achieved an Ivy League education, I hope to serve as a living reminder of what truly makes this country great: opportunity. I am committed to fighting for equal access to quality education, affordable health care, public safety, and economic development to improve the lives of all who live, work, and play in our diverse district.

My passion for community empowerment, civil rights, and human rights began as a teenager and has guided my journey ever since. While in high school, I interned with the Miami Public Defenders’ Office, assisting attorneys representing indigent clients. During college, I tutored students with the Urban Improvement Corp, served as a residential advisor for international students, led art therapy sessions, and engaged in various community service roles. I also interned with the National Coalition for Haitian Rights and worked in Washington, D.C., as an intern and legislative correspondent for Congressman Peter Deutsch.

After Yale, I interned at the Carter Center, focusing on democracy development across Latin America, the Caribbean, and West Africa, then returned home to volunteer as Acting Youth Director at my father’s church. During law school, I externed at the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and served as a Judicial Law Clerk to Judge Eugene Hamilton, who instilled in me the principle: “If it is to be, it is up to me.” I also spent several summers volunteering abroad, assisting refugees in Uganda and Egypt through the Refugee Law Project and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

I have consistently engaged in activism and community work, including leadership roles at Yale’s NAACP and Black Political Forum, internships with voting rights organizations, and serving as President of the Haitian Lawyers Association. Through this role, I helped lead legal education programs, citizenship drives, pro bono clinics, marches, mentorship, and scholarship efforts.

In addition to grassroots activism, I have been active in electoral campaigns and served as First Vice-Chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. I also hold appointments on the Miami-Dade Black Affairs Advisory Board and the City of North Miami Board of Adjustment. Professionally, I am a civil rights and government attorney with Ottinot Law and have served as Interim City Attorney for North Miami Beach.

My family’s story reflects resilience and hope. I am the daughter of Pastor Gonel Joseph, a longtime Haitian-American community activist, and Marguerite Mompremier, a retired nurse devoted to education access in Haiti. They fled dictatorship to pursue the American Dream and a better life for their children.

On a personal note, my name is pronounced /dOtsE/ in Kreyol and “Dottie” in English. I’m a foodie who loves to dance, adore children and pets (though I’m allergic to furry ones), and am deeply committed to my community, family, faith, and justice. I’m an eternal optimist who loves encouraging others to use their God-given talents to achieve their dreams.

I bring all of this experience, commitment, and passion to serve you and our district with clarity, care, and an unwavering focus on justice and opportunity for all.