To honor our sacred heritage, to bear the burden and glory of our history, we must self-consciously resume our vanguard role in the midst of the liberation struggles of the world.
The 39-member Congressional Black Caucus is on record as supporting Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the deposed Hatian president, but is split on whether the US should use force to reinstall him.
According to the United Nation, Haiti is the poorest county in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest nations in the entire world, and the people were experiencing unspeakable hardships before the earthquake.
Two individuals who played vital roles during the Haitian Revolution are Dutty Boukman, the papaloa or voodoo priest, and Alexandre Petion, who fought side-by-side with Henri Christophe.
Two individuals who played vital roles during the Haitian Revolution are Dutty Boukman, the papaloa or voodoo priest, and Alexandre Petion, who fought side-by-side with Henri Christophe.
According to historical records and stories passed down by the griots in Haiti, Christophe was born around October 6, 1767 in Grenada and brought to Haiti (then Saint Domingue) as a slave.
After independence, many of the newly formed nations struggle to maintain their hard fought freedom, though there were many lingering colonial attachments; hostilities; and the difficulties that came with growing pains. Around 1789, the French Revolution was raging in France; two years later, a rebellion swept the northern part of the island like a massive tidal wave.
Dessalines became a lieutenant in Papillon's army and followed him to Santo Domingo, where at first he enlisted to serve Spain's military forces against the French then he joined the "real" slave rebellion that was inspired by Dutty Boukman, a voodoo priest, and led by Toussaint.
Dessalines became a lieutenant in Papillon's army and followed him to Santo Domingo, where at first he enlisted to serve Spain's military forces against the French then he joined the "real" slave rebellion that was inspired by Dutty Boukman, a voodoo priest, and led by Toussaint.
Briefly, Haiti and the Dominican Republic occupy the same island in the West Indies, Haiti occupying the western part and the Dominican Republic the eastern part. ... after my year in the Dominican Republic I decided to go to Haiti as a tourist before returning to the U.S. I remember reporting to the embassy in Port-au-Prince to be briefed and to let them know where I was staying and where I would be going. I remember that the Caucasian male embassy employee who interviewed me was both curious and very amused that I was in Haiti to visit. I remember that he told me emphatically, "the only thing you have in common with these people is color." He proceeded to rattle off negative things about the Haitian people. I was shocked at his boldness but I kept my cool. An example of this is the fact that President Thomas Jefferson allegedly launched an economic embargo against Haiti when Haiti became independent, causing the U.S. and Europe to refuse to acknowledge its independence for decades. At the present time it is alleged that Haiti is the most depressed nation in the Western Hemisphere.
