Haiti -- what we must know
Posted by Carolan Gladden at 1/16/2010 9:07 AM 
Categories: Places, Music, Current Events, Politics, Stupidity, Black and White
Categories: Places, Music, Current Events, Politics, Stupidity, Black and White
Long ago I worked with a unique Haitian on his book about Haiti. I learned sooo much about this valiant country -- the very first to fight for and win independence from its Colonial owner, in this case France in 1804.
This man was part of the government of Baby Doc Duvalier in the 1970s and left the land of his birth, the land that he loved, before the corruption and "disappearings" took him. From him I learned Haiti's history, how Toussaint L'Ouverture -- one of few slaves afforded an education -- led a revolution that succeeded. Read about it:Over time I came to know of the country's lack of schooling, clean water and infrastructure but also of the indomitable spirit of the Haitian people, of their artistic leanings and engaging musicality. I even celebrated with Boukman Eksperyans, a band in exile, at the Belly Up. And I discovered distateful truths from Randall Robinson's An Unbroken Agony.
About the Haiti Revolution: "It may have been the most stunning victory won for the black world in a thousand years. There has been nothing quite like it, before or since."
Then, among many surprising facts, he tells us that the entire system of slavery was put on notice. And, "As a direct result of what the Haitian revolutionaries did to free themselves, France lost two-thirds of its world trade income ... Jefferson and the Republicans showed nothing but hostility to the new nation ... the new Republic of Haiti was met with a global economic embargo by the United States and Europe ... strengthened by a further demand from France for financial reparations of roughly $21 billion (2004 dollars) as compensation from the newly freed slaves for denying France the further benefit on owning them.
"It woud be the first time in history that reparations would be imposed by a defeated nation on the nation that had defeated it."
Read about Haiti: An Unbroken Agony; Haiti, the Duvaliers and Their Legacy; The Rainy Season; Spirits of the Night; The Serpent and the Rainbow.
Listen to Boukman Eksperyans on their cd Revolution:
Played: 8 | Download | Duration: 00:03:40
And please help Haiti if you can.
Positively,
Carolan
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