Noirism - 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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Born in Jacmel in 1841 to a well-to-do mulatto couple, Hannibal Price began life above the curve. His well-funded education gave him the means to rise high in various respects and he became known as an author as well as a diplomat, having had the post of ambassador from Haiti to the United States for three years from 1890 until his death in 1893.

Price also acted as a Provisional Government Counselor after President Michel Domingue's fall in 1875 and was a serious advocate of Florvil Hyppolite. During the time he played the role of Minister Plenipotentiary to Washington he wrote the book he would be most known for entitled, 'De la Réhabilitation de la Race Noire par la République d'Haïti' (On the Rehabilitation of the Black Race by the Republic of Haiti). This further journey into authorship and the subject matter discussed was said to be in answer to 'Hayti or the Black Republic' by Spenser St. John. Published posthumously, the book sets about to comprehensively show all the possibilities for Haiti if the chains of illiteracy and the consuming practice of vodou were not in existence. It also endeavored to defend the Negro race and present the country to the foreign world in a more friendly light through the discourse of the history and social life of Haiti so voluminously documented within the pages.

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An ardent supporter of the Duvalier regime, Haitian Bishop Francois-Wolff Ligonde passed away. According to Radio Kiskeya based on information obtained from Bishop Louis Kebreau, he died following an unspecified illness.

Bishop Francois-Wolff Ligonde was born in the city of Les Cayes, on January 17, 1928. On August 20, 1966, Pope Paul VI nominated him as Archbishop of Port-au-Prince. After more than 40 years in this position, Bishop Francois-Wolff Ligonde retired from his post in 2008.

Bishop Francois-Wolff Ligonde became famous when he presided over the wedding of Jean Claude Duvalier and Michele Bennett, whom he is the uncle. The wedding that many people believe marked the beginning of the end of the regime. There were several issues on the table with this particular wedding: One, Michele Bennett, a mulatto who came opposed to the Noirisme movement that Francois Duvalier has been promoting throughout his government. Two, the wedding itself in 1980 cost over $5 millioms.

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Dumarsais Estime, Haiti's 33rd president, held office for four years. His presidency is notable because he was the first black leader elected after the U.S. occupation ended in 1934.

Although Estimé married a mulatto elite, his determined educated blacks were to make up the majority of his administration's political appointees. Reversing mulatto elite influence, he championed an education initiative, building schools in poverty-ridden villages and offering advanced teacher-training. This effort created a 45% rise in elementary school attendance.

Dumarsais Estime's agenda included road-construction projects, literacy programs, and improving community services. He also amended the Constitution to provide workers the right to form unions and raised the minimum wage.

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Michel Cincinnatus Leconte, descendent of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the first head of state of the new Republic of Haiti, assumed the office of the presidency, backed by Parliament in August 1911. Prior to his ascendency, Leconte had been appointed Minister of the Interior by President Pierre Nord Alexis, but was pressured to flee to Jamaica when a coup ran Alexis out of office in 1908. François Antoine Simon then held the office.

By 1911 Cincinnatus Leconte returned, amassing an army to remove Simon from office by force. He was successful, arriving in Port-au-Prince a hero. In gratitude, Parliament ushered him into office, with an unprecedented seven-year term.

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