BAP-DC, a citywide alliance in Washington, D.C., of the Black Alliance for Peace, extends warm and revolutionary greetings to the resilient working-class and poor people of Haiti on this 220th commemoration of Haitian Flag Day. We understand it was on this day in 1803 that the Haitian people adopted their flag. Just six months later, the Haitian people defeated the enslavers and colonizers, ensuring their place in history as the first republic of African people in the world. We understand the colonizers have persisted in oppressing Haiti, despite the Haitian people’s victory 219 years ago. The people of Haiti have . . .
Haitian Revolution
Women in the Haitian Revolution
The 1791 slave uprising of Saint-Domingue was the largest and most successful slave revolt in modern history. It transformed one of the wealthiest colonies in the world into a new nation led by the black leaders of the Revolution. Because Saint-Domingue was a French colony, the French Revolution was inextricably linked to the Revolution in Saint-Domingue, however, the two Revolutions functioned in largely separate spheres not least because of the ocean that separated them. The struggle for liberation took on a particularly bloody and brutal shape on the island of Saint-Domingue. Along with other French Caribbean colonies (such as Martinique . . .
Haiti’s White Rulers Have Spoken on Haiti’s Political Future
The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) condemns the arrogance and illegality of United Nations Special Envoy for Haiti Helen La Lime’s July 8 statement that Haitian Prime Minister Claude Joseph will be the new president, just one day after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. The decision was announced to the press after a closed-door UN Security Council meeting had been called on Haiti. But BAP asks: Who gave the United Nations special envoy the power to make that kind of determination for the people of Haiti? This sounds like a play right out of the old regime-change book. As . . .
Haiti: Black Despots and White Rulers
The horror story in Haiti since 2004 is not really about despotic Black government, but is the consequence and crime of global white rule. “Moïse is the product of a broader system blocking Haiti’s democratic path and sovereignty, a system that is built and maintained by the white rulers of the world.” The past week has seen growing protests against the contested presidency of Haiti’s Jovenel Moïse. An unpopular figure who has ruled without a mandate, and, increasingly, by decree , Moïse refused to relinquish power when his presidential term expired on February 7, 2021. While claiming that his term . . .
When France Extorted Haiti – the Greatest Heist in History
When France Extorted Haiti – the Greatest Heist in History The indemnity Haiti paid to France is the first and only time a formerly enslaved people were forced to compensate those who had once enslaved them. “The median annual income of a French family is $31,112, but it’s only $450 for a Haitian family.” In the wake of George Floyd’s killing, there have been calls for defunding police departments and demands for the removal of statues. The issue of reparations for slavery has also resurfaced. Much of the reparations debate has revolved around whether the United States and the United Kingdom should finally compensate some of their citizens for the . . .
Ayiti
Whenever Haiti is the topic of discussion, one will always think and associate Haiti as being the “poorest country in the Western Hemisphere” and as the country who always seems to be in political turmoil. We are also reminded of the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti 10 years ago and how the US and France, two of the many countries who are responsible for Haiti’s current state, came to aid Haiti as the “poverty-stricken” and “helpless” sibling that media has portrayed Haiti to be since the 80s. As a child of Haitian immigrants, hearing about Haiti’s troubles has always caused . . .