Monthly Archives: April 2011
“Voodooism” Increases Profits
On the tendency of white foreigners, especially, and recently American negroes, to read dark, jungle atavism into even the most guileless aspects of Haitian life, our author has this to say:
“Many good missionaries have come to us from the United States and elsewhere to advise us to preserve our traditions, customs, and African cults [...]
Posted in Haiti Tagged 1943, 1970, Haiti, history, religion, revolution, sovereignty, United States 5 Comments
KODAK
Tourist, don’t take my picture
Don’t take my picture, tourist
I’m too ugly
Too dirty
Too meager and too thin
Don’t take my picture, blanc
Mr. Eastman wouldn’t approve
I’m too ugly, too thin
And your Kodak will break
I’m too dirty and too black
Your Kodak will burst
Don’t take my portrait, tourist
Let me be, blanc
Don’t photograph my donkey
Donkeys here carry too much
Donkeys here are [...]
Posted in Haiti Tagged archives, Haiti, history, independence, photography, representation, sovereignty 2 Comments
How the Haitian people feel about former United States President Woodrow Wilson
To-day in the history of Haiti the 4th of March is the beginning of a new era. Mr. Harding, the defender of our cause and advocate of our rights, had entered the White House as President of the United States in place of Mr. Woodrow Wilson, the man of baneful prejudices, who [...]
Posted in Haiti Tagged 1915, 1919, 1921, americas, archives, Cap Haitien, democracy, freedom, Haiti, history, independence, intervention 4 Comments
Jean-Claude Duvalier
Jean‑Claude Duvalier was Haiti’s “president for life” from 1971 to 1986, succeeding his father François “Papa Doc” Duvalier. The Duvaliers are estimated to have ordered the deaths of between twenty and thirty thousand Haitian civilians. The brutality of their government created the modern Haitian diaspora, driving hundreds of thousands of Haitians [...]
Posted in Haiti Tagged 1957, 1971, 1986, 2011, americas, archives, democracy, dictatorship, Duvalier, Haiti, history, United States 3 Comments
Port-au-Prince
inside the car
françois and i
could see the light
coming from the
cigarette michelle
duvalier was smoking
her husband
declared president
for life looked like
a fat chauffer
sitting behind the
wheel
françois
and i smiled
the small
procession of cars
slipping past us
in the dark
we did not know
that a few miles
away people were
already celebrating
nor could we see
the joy on the faces
of the men who ran
holding knives [...]
Posted in Haiti Tagged 1986, archives, dictatorship, Duvalier, Haiti, history, Port-au-Prince, representation 3 Comments
Haiti: New York City
Tabou Combo, “New York City,” (1989)
U.S.A. Dishonor and Disrespect (Haitian Interdiction 1981 to 1994)
dem na Cuban so dem noh count
Kamau Brathwaite,“Dream Haiti,” (1995)
Posted in Haiti Tagged 1981, 1994, americas, Cuba, Haiti, history, immigration, Refugees, representation, United States Leave a comment
Assotto Saint’s Haiti