“I think Haiti is a place that suffers so much from neglect that people only want to hear about it when It’s at its extreme. And that’s what they end up knowing about it.”
-Edwidge Danticat-
Click on the link to play Haiti’s national anthem La Dessalinienne
Instead of giving information about Haiti here we will link to some material that offers that information. Keep in mind several things, first of all while Wikipedia is a great site, it is not always as accurate as it could be. Second of all, everyone has a bias and so any information that you access from anywhere will be skewed, whether it is political bias, racism, or just surveys that were done in an inefficient fashion. The best way to approach any topic is to look at it from opposing viewpoints, realize the backgrounds of the authors, and analyze the topic from there. Lastly, especially when dealing with Haiti, remember this quote from Mark Twain, “All generalizations are false, including this one.”
The Haitian Flag
Internet Sources:
The BBC Caribbean Section.
The CIA World Factbook.
Wikipedia.
The Louverture Project.
The World Health Organization.
Haiti Analysis.
CBC News.
Discover Haiti
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, yet it is a short flight from one of the richest countries in the world, America.
Books:
The Comedians by Graham Greene.
The Four Voyages by Christopher Columbus
The Black Jacobins by C.L.R. James
The United States Occupation of Haiti by Hans Schmidt
Haiti: The Duvaliers and Their Legacy by Elizabeth Abbot
The Uses of Haiti by Paul Farmer
The Rainy Season: Haiti Since Duvalier by Amy Wilentz
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
Getting Haiti Right This Time by Noam Chomsky, Amy Goodman and Paul Farmer
Paradise Lost by Philippe Girard
Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution by Laurent Dubois.
In the Parish of the Poor: Writings From Haiti by Jean Bertrand Aristide.
Facing Racial Revolution: Eyewitness Accounts Of The Haitian Insurrection by Jeremy Popkin.
Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover what is now Haiti. That’s right in 1492 Columbus discovered Haiti not India or America. It did not take European settlers long to completely destroy the native people on the island and replace them with slaves from Africa and more settlers.
Movies:
Aristide and the Endless Revolution
The Agronomist
The Price of Sugar
Yes I admit that the movie The Serpent and The Rainbow is entertaining, but remember it is only that. Trying to learn about Haiti from it would be like trying to learn about Japan by watching Karate Kid.
This is Toussaint L’Ouverture who is for the most part considered the founding father of Haiti. In my opinion he is one of the most, if not the most, interesting and influential leaders of all time.
Music:
Welcome To Haiti: Creole 101 by Wyclef Jean.
Boukman Eksperyans.
This is Jean Jacques Dessalines another key figure in Haitian history, as well as the first emperor of Haiti.
This is the island of Tortuga, which you may remember from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. It used to be a haven for pirates such as Captain Morgan and others. This island, which is a part of Haiti, is right off the northwest coast and has played a large part in the history of Haiti and piracy. In fact, the word buccaneer comes from the people who used to live on this island.
We will update this page regularly so check back for more info.
I recommend a non-fiction book written by Edwidge Dandicat, a Haitian, entitled, “Brother, I’m Dying”. It is a gripping story of her life and her family’s history over the course of several generations.
It reads like a novel with rich (real) characters along with a colorful and descriptive narrative. It is also an incredibly amazing history lesson of Haiti and the Haitian people.
Wonderful job with your website. I love it!