Race in Haiti - Haiti Observer Blog

Following the crippling Hurricane Matthew on October 2016, Black Lives Matter(BLM) Cambridge partnered with a number of Haitian organizations (Vertiver, Kouraj, and Kolectif Kay Kok- Sakage) to send aids to a number of grassroots associations. BLM has extended long term support by supplying resources to repair damaged homes, install solar posts, and provide water purifiers and donated specific items like LED lamps, solar panels, water filters, etc for as many communities as possible.

Black Lives Matter is a chapter-based national organization in the United states that is working for the validity of Black life. It is a call to action and a response to the virulent anti-Black racism that permeates the United States of America. It was was created in 2012 after 17-year old Trayvon Martin's murderer, George Zimmerman, was acquitted for his crime.

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The big winner for the logo contest "Nou Tout Sanble, menm lè nou diferan" was Neyssa T. Demorcy, a 17 year old studdent at Institution du Sacré-cÅ"ur de Turgeau. She was declared winner as her logo was determined to be better over 5 others in inculpating the values of respect, dialogue, learn to live together and the quest for excellence among the youth. This campaign began in Octobrer, 2015 and the Logo contest of "Nou Tout Sanble, menm lè nou diferan" is part of of an initiative with the objective to adopt a visual identity for the campaign. There will be other campaigns in the coming days such as music, litterature, DJ that will be part of the activities for the 2015-2016 school year.

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Antenor Firmin Debunks French Author Gobuineau's White Supremacy Theory

Haitian intellectual Antenor Firmin was born in the old French colonial city of Cap-Haitien in 1850. He carved out a distinguished career as a journalist, attorney, and writer. He was appointed by President Hyppolite as Minister of Finance and Commerce, and also Minister of Foreign Affairs. But history has remembered him best as the author of the book "The Equality of the Human Races", a refutation of Arthur de Gobuineau's "Essay on the Inequality of Human Races", which argued for white supremacy over minority races.

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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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The Jewish legacy in Haiti can be dated as far back as Christopher Columbus and his first crew of explorers. While the famous man himself has often been called a possible Jew, the claim has never been solidly proven. Still, many of his crew members were, including the man who traveled with him to act as his translator, Luis de Torres, who is known as the first person of Jewish heritage to set foot in the Americas.

Following this beginning, Haiti saw its number of Jews dwindle slightly as many people of Jewish descent were expelled following the slave revolt heralded by Toussaint L'Ouverture in 1804. In 1830, the persecution of Jews in Poland and other countries led to a small band of people seeking refuge elsewhere. Then there came the Nazi regime in Germany, which drove out many of the Jewish tribe from all across Europe. It funded the little Haitian country with an influx of those who could afford the travel and documentation for themselves and their families.

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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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Haiti's ethnic heritage is complex and has evolved well over two centuries, beginning with the original inhabitants, the Arawaks, followed by the Tainos, and finally the Caraibes. The Caraibes named the island Haiti. Although other names were attached to the island, Haiti has persisted as the modern appellation.

Haiti has been subject to four foreign invasions, or colonizations that began race integration. Spain was first, under whom the island was named Hispaniola. They brought slaves from the Congo to work the land. France was the second intruder, renaming Hispaniola Saint Domingue and battling Spain for control of the island. Spain eventually negotiated with France to rule the western half of Hispaniola. By now, Africans became the dominant race, over the indigenous Indians.

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