History

The Magic City Park in Little Haiti was a collection of historic tourist cabins along with a number of trailers. It was architecturally significant as a remarkably intact example of an early twentieth century tourist court in Miami. The manager's office, originally known as the Mikado Inn, was noteworthy for its detail, materials and craftsmanship. This 86- year old, 6.5-acre mobile-home community, surrounded by old oaks and a variety of other trees, is located in the section of Miami that is called Lemon City, also known today as Little Haiti.

This site of mobile homes for working-class families at 6001 NE 2nd Avenue in Little Haiti has been officially shut down on March 31, 2015. Now only the families of park's maintenance workers live there as the rest of the Magic City has been cleared. The property consists plenty of oaks and other trees like the variety of palm and avocado trees, strangler fig trees and other numerous "Category 1" invasive species, which are protected by the City of Miami's strict tree ordinance.

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Recently, on May 16, 2015, Joan Dithny Raton, the Haitian Minister of Culture in the presence of the U.S Ambassador in Haiti Ms. Pamela A. White at the historic Fort-Jacques, had symbolically delivered a copy of the book "200 Monuments and Sites of Haiti" in recognition of her country's contribution to the publication of this cultural document.

The National Heritage Protection Institute (ISPAN) was the architect behind the project of creating this directory of tangible Haitian heritage. They have completed the project with a fund assistance of a 2012 grant (US$41,500) received from the United States named "U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation", for the Preservation of Haitian heritage. The illustrated book includes photographs, drawings and period prints of the most characteristic representative of the monuments with great cultural values which were most visited by locals and tourists following the devastating 2010 earthquake.

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Barbados Reparations Task Force leads Quest for Slavery Compensation

The International Black Reparations Summit was hosted by New York City in early April. Participating nations included CARICOM (representing the Caribbean), France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, South America, and the U.S. Many high-profile invitees attended including U.S. activists Jesse Jackson of PUSH and Danny Glover, African-American actor. They were among those representing the fields of academics, law, politics, activism, and history.

Many aggrieved nations have been seeking reparations for the descendants of African slaves transported along the Atlantic corridor. Martinique, for example, filed for reparations from France in 2005 for a sum of 200 billion Euros to compensate for the damage Martinique slave descendants suffered as a result of displacement from their homeland.

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Martelly asks for Unification on 211th Independence Day

Haiti celebrated its 211th anniversary on January 1, 2015. President Martelly, speaking after mass at Gonaïves Cathedral, said it was time to put aside differences and unite as a country in preparation for long-delayed state and local elections.

Haiti has been in the throes of a mounting political crisis, which reached a high point when Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe was forced to resign in deference to the Consultative Commission's recommendations in December. Martelly quickly appointed Evans Paul as prime minister and Parliament's approval will seal the deal. Martelly has consulted with all actors involved, and it has been agreed to extend the mandate of seated legislators, according to a signed document. Martelly used the occasion of the 211th anniversary to invoke a sense of renewal and purpose. He wants Parliament and all political parties and organizations to transcend their convictions, to unite and ". . . together to remove barriers that hold us back on the road to progress and development."

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Violence breaks out during Anti-Government Protest

The Martelly-Lamothe government is passing a fourth year of not holding state and local elections, and anti-government forces have taken to the streets to protest the government's inaction. In a clash between pro- and anti-government protestors in the Delmas 32 neighborhood, both sides hurled rocks and verbal accusations at each other. The riot grew out of control in no time and shots were fired, wounding three people, one sustaining serious injuries.

The Haitian National Police (HNP) used tear gas on the protestors, causing the majority of them to leave the area. When newspaper journalists tried to question Frantz Lerebours, HNP spokesman, to find out if any arrests were made, he could not verify any information for them. The protestors having moved on, continued marching, calling for Martelly's resignation. Apparently disenfranchised, they also demanded their constitutional rights to vote in the forever-pending elections.

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The visit to the Historical Park of Forts Jacques and Alexandre was done on 4th July. Present was the Minister for Culture, Monique Rocourt, accompanied by Minister for Tourism and Creative Industries, Stephanie Balmir Villedrouin, Director General of Ministry for Culture, Stefan Malebranche, Director General of Ministry for Tourism and Creative Industries, Maryse Noel, the Mayor of Petionville, Ms Jolicoeur Yvanka Brutus, and CASEC of the commune, Anel Prinston.

The two ministries, that is, the Ministry for Culture and the Ministry for Tourism and Creative Industries, have partnered to rehabilitate the historical park. The work is already in progress. The Institute for the Protection of National Heritage (ISPAN) is managing the rehabilitation project of the Fort Jacques and Fort Alexandre Historical Park. The two ministries have taken responsibility for ensuring management, care, and restoration of the historical site.

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As the political crisis continues in Haiti between President Michel Martelly and the various groups in opposition, the two sides seem to get ready for a major fight. As far a I am concerned, they are heading straight to a total destruction, the ultimate battle, just like the one conducted by the forces of freedom during the colonization period in Saint-Domingue which was called the Battle of Vertières.

The Battle of Vertières took place less than two months before Haiti Proclamation of Independent. Probably one of the most important battles in the Haitian revolution, the battle of Vertières was between the expeditionary forces of the French and the Haitian rebels. Fought on November 18, 1803, the battle would be the second major one of the Second War of Haitian Independence, as well as the last part of the François Capois-led portion of the Haitian revolution.

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A recent expedition by archeological investigators on the north coast of Haiti suggests that, more than 500 years after it sank, the wreckage of 'Santa Maria', the flagship vessel of Christopher Columbus' might be sitting on at the bottom of the ocean near Haiti since the Christmas Day, 1492. Barry Clifford, an explorer well known for discovering the remains of a wrecked pirate ship 'Whydah' in 1984 and more recently Captain Kidd's flagship off Madagascar, was the leader of this expedition team. As per his statement, the detailed marine archaeological evidence strongly suggests that the wreck is 'Santa Maria' that Columbus used on his first voyage in 1492. Perhaps we remember that, along with Santa Maria, Columbus used two other smaller ships, Santa Clara or La Niña and La Pinta--all the three ships were very old, never suitable for any exploration adventure. Santa Maria ran aground, and the waves smashed it to pieces. Leaving some of his men to build a fort, Columbus had returned to Spain in La Niña.

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The government of Haiti requested assistance from UNESCO to provide technical support to protect the underwater cultural heritage. The UNESCO has accepted to send a mission to the site of the wreck of Santa Maria of Christopher Columbus. The Haitian minister for Culture sent a letter to UNESCO requesting the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body of UNESCO 2001 to send experts who will be able to protect the underwater cultural heritage site from being looted. The letter was dated June 12th, and the UNESCO agreed with the minister to give the necessary support.

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Jean-Jacques Dessalines violent death at the hands of his own lieutenants when he was ambushed

Mystery #1

Haitian students want to know who assassinated Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines at Pont Rouge. It turns out either Yayou, Gideon, Mentor or Vaval stabbed him in the back, and Delpeche, Marcadieux, and Tonnere tried to defend him and died. Alexandre Petion was in on the plot to take Dessalines's life, as well as Henri Christophe. Blacks and mulattoes killed him and also defended him.

Mystery #2

Another question is what became of the indigenous Taino Indians? Historians say vestiges of the tribe today live in a village called Louhou. Their culture consists of eating the Indian cake, cassava; drinking the Indian beer, mabi; and living in the Indian dwelling, Joupa. But Haitians today adamantly refuse to identify themselves with their Taino ancestry, preferring to view themselves as of African-descent instead.

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