Black Vs Mulato - Haiti Observer Blog

The state-sponsored wedding between Former Haitian Dictator Jean Claude Duvalier and a member of the Mulato elite in Haiti,Michèle Bennett, was reported to be one of the most expensive weddings of the time.

This wedding also comes to signal a new alliance in the Haitian society, The union represents a new aliance between Noirisme that has been promoted by the Duvalierists and the mulatto elite class.

Michèle Bennett was the daughter of a wealthy coffee merchant. Her father, Ernest Bennett, took advantage of his presidential connection to increase his wealth.

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We all probably experienced this one time or another; however one Haitian nurse working in Long Island hospital is doing something about it. Diana St. Gerard who is a light skin Haitian nurse has been discriminated by other staff members for her background. They assume that because she is Haitian, therefore, she must be practicing "Black magic" and Voodoo.

According to Diana St. Gerard, the white staff at Long Island hospital made her life a living hell there. During the nine years that she worked in the mental health unit she was faced with many incidents of discrimination. Nurses have told St. Gerard that she looked like a voodoo doll; another staff member actually brought a voodoo doll at the Hospital once.

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People say a picture is worth a thousand words. With this new development in the Fanmi Lavalas where there is a public conflict between Senator Moise Jean-Charles and Deputy Arnel Belizaire on the one side and Maryse Narcisse, Pasha Vorbe and Claude Roumain on the other, I call it simple Sibling Rivalry.

Mezanmi, Mwen ta Konseye Nou Gade Bagay la Pi Prè

Here is the picture that makes sense to me in term of how I see the new and restructured Lavalas Party following this new development:

THE NEW LAVALAS STRUCTURE:

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Andre Michel is back and this time, as you can see in this video, he put the blame squarely on Michel Martelly for the resurgence of class issue in Haiti. He also said that this did not start today.

He gave some examples: " When Michel Martelly referred to Liliane Pierre-Paul of Radio Quisqueya as "Ti Lili" added Metre Michel, he meant to say that: "Pitit malere, malerese" nan Ti Goave, Moun Tet Grenn, Moun Led.

Mesanmi Tande Koze

He also referred to the first Bal following Martelly inauguration as President in Petion-Ville. According to Andre Michel, Minm moun ki gin koule noir were nor allowed to go in".

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This is the phrase that I have been hearing all this week regarding the protest that took place last Thursday in Petion-Ville where several thousands of people were asking for the removal of President Michel Martelly from office. Actually the notion "Dessalines visiting Petion" was used to refer to the Race issue in Haiti once again. In a sense, Dessalines represents the Black, poor, uneducated Haitians while Petion, represents the elite, mulato, educated, affluent Haitians.

The anti-government protest got out of control after demonstrators made a rare trip to Petionville. Some opposed to the demonstration threw stones at the marcher and Police fired tear gas to break it.

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Montreal is holding its ninth International Black Film Festival of 2013. The Festival committee held a media conference to talk about the Festival events.

The main honoree will be Danny Glover, an academy-award nominated actor. He will pick up the 2013 Montreal International Black Film Festival's Humanitarian Award. Involved as an activist, most recently as a supporter for a transit workers' strike in the San Francisco Bay Area, he has made films with some of Hollywood's top actors, among Mel Gibson, Sally Field, and John Malkovich.

Other honorees are Kim Nguyen, an academy-award nominated director, and Josue Lajeunesse, a Haitian-American activist. Lajeunesse came to public awareness in a featured role in "The Philosopher Kings". He has been recognized for his good works in helping Haitians raise their living standards. Aimé Cesaire, co-founder of the Negritude Movement, will also be honored, he would have reached 100.

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In a study conducted by Erkan Gören, a scientist at Germany's Oldenburg University, he has determined how culturally diverse countries are, according to databanks compiled of each country's ethnic and racial demographics. Among 180 countries surveyed, Haiti showed little cultural diversity when assigned a computer-generated rating.

To clarify, the concept of cultural diversity is separate from racial diversity. Cultural diversity is based on racial and ethnic diversities. The more types of racial and ethnic populations, the more languages and cultural values they share.

Haiti's racial lineage began with the indigenous Taino Indians, who were bred out of existence by slaves emigrating from the Republic of Congo. At the same time, the Spanish and French invasions changed Haiti's racial and cultural profile further. The French and the Spanish battled for control of Hispaniola. Eventually the French retained control of the western half of the island, and the Spanish the larger eastern segment, named the Dominican Republican. The French interbred with African slaves, producing the light-skinned mulatto elite, who were high-born and spoke French. The low-born and darker-skinned Haitians were of Spanish and African blood.

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Born in 1950, Michele Bennett was the daughter of a Haitian businessman who owned 50,000 acres of land, where he mostly grew coffee. She moved to New York when she was 15 and stayed there until she completed her school from St. Mary's School in Peekskill, New York. Her first job was with a slipper company, where she worked as a secretary.

Her first marriage was with the son of a mulatto officer in 1973, a lock from which Michele gave birth to two children. Michele's first marriage ended five years later, in 1978, post which she took up a career in Public Relations. Her first stint was with a classy hotel called Habitation LeClerc.

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The "Haitian Joudalist" just heard something that is very upsetting. Even worst, it was revealed on May 18, the day we celebrate our flag, a symbol of unity and Black pride.

The Race issue is back in the Haitian society. That is if the information revealed by the Haitian politician and former president of the Democratic United Committee (Komite inite Demokratik, KID) is true. Mr. Evens Paul reported on the popular Radio show "Ranmase" that in an event taking place recently in the city of Milot in the North of the country, the Chief of Protocal responsible to organize the event wanted more children of mixed color in front because too many of them were dark; he ordered the black children to go on the back, moving the light skinned children to the front.

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Haitian born writer Dany Laferrière has spent his career writing things that provoke. From his work in the weekly 'Le Petit Samedi Soir' to his first novel, 'How to make love to a Negro' (1987), Laferrière has carved his success with the blade of controversy, whether real or formulated.

He was born in Port-au-Prince as Windsor Kléber Laferrière on April 13, 1953. After growing up in Petit Goâve, he began working as a journalist until the late 1970's when the weekly he wrote in collaboration with Gaston Raymond most likely led to the murder of the latter. Laferrière felt it best to relocate to Canada.

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