Race Issue

After the slave revolution, the Haitian Elite or upper class was comprised of Haiti Military class, Haiti's Mulato class and free Blacks. This picture is the lovely wife of Emperor Faustin Soulouque, Adelina who is a member of the Haitian elite class.

Wealthy families could only married into wealthy families. Poor women could only be mistress

The Haitian Elite or upper class is always comprised of Military class, Haiti's Mulato class and free Blacks. An estimate suggests that about 1% of the total population, constitute the Haitian bourgeoisie--an elite group that the world rarely focuses on. They are often related through years of intermarriage and business dealings. They are educated, worldly, multilingual and rich, sometimes exceedingly so (about 300 are millionaires). A few of them are black, some are white, and most of them are mixed who have separated themselves from ordinary black Haitians in every respect. Pétionville's discothèques, casino, and health spas are packed on the weekends with affluent Haitians-- it is where you can witness the disparity of Haiti's wealth. The society is trapped in cycles of poverty, corruption and exploitation. Some of them have prospered mainly in the import-export or textile businesses. One percent of Haitians control 50 percent of the country's economy, and its top 500 taxpayers generate 80% of its tax revenues. In 2013, Haiti had a GDP of $8.199 billion, and 95% of that was roughly in the hands of about 10 families (eleven or twelve extended families in Haiti, many of them linked through marriage over many generations).

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Here is the winning logo for Nou tout sanble, menm lè nou diferan

On Monday, December 21, 2015, as part of the second civic education campaign, Nesmy Manigat, the Minister of National Education, launched the music and literary contest "Nou tout sanble, menm lè nou diferan" in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action. The music and literary competitions and a DJ contest at the national level was launched in the presence of several artists such as, Roosevelt Saillant aka "BIC" Eunide Édouarin aka "Princess Eud "and K-Libr. At the first phase of this initiative, Neyssa T. Demorcy (17 year old), a student of the Institution of the Sacred heart of Turgeau won the competition logo placed in the framework of the campaign "Nou Tout Sanble, menm lè nou diferan", defeating five other competitors. The first phase of the competition started in October 2015. The objective of the program was to incorporate values among the youth so that they understand the value of togetherness, respect and search for excellence.

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New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman launches inquiry into 'no Haitian' nurses ad.

As per the Daily News dated October 19, 2015, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a member of the Democratic Party, has launched an inquiry into the nature of an advertisement published by Interim Healthcare Inc. of Nanuet on the October 15, 2015, issue of 'New City Pennysaver'. The Interim Healthcare Inc., had published a help-wanted advertisement on the above mentioned issue for a nurse that goes like: "Laid back nurse, no haitians, must have strong respiratory mngt,... The Attorney General believes, the advertisement has violated federal and state civil rights laws, because the law clearly prohibits discrimination in hiring on the basis of national origin. If the Attorney General is satisfied with the gravity of charges, would frame the said home care, hospice and medical staffing company in charges of discriminatory practices.

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Here is a picture of Mr. Ebenezer D. Bassett. He was the first African-American ambassador to Haiti.

Ebenezer D. Bassett, Ambassador to Haiti and an African American, will be paid tribute to during September's Freedom Trail Month at the Grove Street Cemetery.

Bassett broke the color line at Central Connecticut State University, then became principal at Cheney University, the first black university.

Scheduled to speak are New Haven Mayor Toni Harp; Preservation Representative Marian O'Keefe; and CSCU Provost Carl Lovitt. The post-ceremony reception will take place at Jean Pope Park.

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Let's call a dog a dog. What the Dominicans are currently doing to Haitians and Dominican-Haitians is not the behavior of a civilized society. At least we can go along with the statement of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio who described the behaviors of the Dominican government as illegal, immoral and racist.

The Dominican Republic (DR) is getting ready to expel thousands upon thousands of Haitian migrants and their natural-born progeny as the date for implementation of the new immigration law draws near. Human rights organizations claim the law is based on race-hatred of darker-skinned Haitians.

DR President Medina states no mass deportations will happen and 210,000-plus Haitians have registered for the regularization program. Meanwhile dozens of buses stand poised to transport deportees to Haiti's border.

NYC Mayor de Blasio denounces DR Haitian Migrant Deportation Plan

The Dominican Republic's (DR) plan to deport Dominican-born Haitians has drawn the ire of NYC Mayor de Blasio. He describes the DR's intentions as "illegal, immoral, and racist".

In Washington D.C. the Association of Haitian Professionals (AHP) are organizing a protest at the
Embassy of the Dominican Republic, where they will call for ending deportations. AHP says Dominicans target anyone, who possess "Haitian facial features" and commit violent acts on them.

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During the 1820s, six thousand black Americans were taken to Haiti as part of a migration scheme in which President Jean-Pierre Boyer had a heavy hand. It followed Haiti's establishment as a free black state and was an open invitation for black Americans to find freedom from slavery in Haiti. Many think the plan failed, but for different reasons, one was that thousands returned to the U.S., and the other was because the expectations of the prospect weren't considered met.

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The slave revolution in Saint Domingue (Haiti) could not have been possible without a union of Blacks and Mulatos in the island. After Haiti's independence, the leader of the revolution, Jean-Lacques Dessalines, had this great idea that his daughter could help bridge the gap between Alexandre Petion and himself by proposing that his daughter would marry Alexandre Petion, the Leader of the Mulato force who fought side by side with him. He also saw this as a way to bring both Blacks and Mulatos together.

Marie Françoise Célimène Dessalines was born on October 2, 1789. She was the daughter of Jean-Jacques Jacques I. Dessalines , the first Emperor of Haiti and Marie-Claire Happy Bliss GUILLAUME , Empress consort of Haiti. At the time, she was romantically involved with young Captain Chancy, a nephew of Toussaint Louverture.

It was reported that the marriage proposition between Marie Françoise Célimène Dessalines and Alexandre Petion was declined by Petion. He would later, according to some historians, take part of the assassination plot against Jean-Jacques Dessalines.

Could the marriage between Célimène and Pétion actually saved Emperor Dessalines' life?

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Here is a picture of two Haitian leaders: Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Alexandre Petion. In public protest that took place in November 2013, the race issue cameback as the people protesting took their fight to the affluent city of Petion-Ville.

The anti-government protest became violent as those opposed to the demonstration threw stones and Police fired tear gas

As the protest took the turn to go to Petion-Ville, many stated that "Dessalines was visiting Petion".

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Le Code Noir 1742 before the Haitian Revolution

On the eve of French Revolution, there were nearly 500,000 slaves in St. Domingue. St. Domingue's slave system was very cruel. It is being said that the recalcitrant slaves in rest of the Americas were kept in control by threatening them to be sold to St. Domingue. However, there was still a distinct division among the slaves in St. Domingue. Nearly 100,000 were domestic slaves involved in cooking and art and severed as personal servants. They were generally well treated compared to other field slaves. These domestic slaves were the last to join the slave rebellion.

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Haiti, one of the least culturally diverse countries in the world in 2013

Based on a study done on more than 180 countries, it was concluded that Argentina, Haiti or the isolated Comoros islands off the southeast coast of Africa are the countries least culturally diverse.

On the other hand, countries like Chad and Togo, with more than 37 tribal groups that speak more than 39 languages and where the various groups did not share common culture or history were most culturally diverse.

Argentina, the Comoros, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Rwanda and Uruguay rank as the world's least diverse countries

A caution: Cultural diversity is a different concept than ethnic diversity

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