united states

Haitian President Paul E. Magloire addresses a joint session of U.S. congress in 1955. He is being supported by U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon and House Speaker.

In January 1955, Haitian President Paul Eugene Magloire was invited to the United States for an official visit and stayed at the White House with the President and Mrs. Eisenhower. He received a warm welcome and was given a ticker-tape parade, possibly due to his anti-communist stand. On January 25, 1955, Paul E. Magloire addressed at the 84th joint session of Congress where he praised President Eisenhower's civil rights record. He was the third Negro to address a joint session (Liberian President Edwin Barclay in 1943, Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie in 1954). He also praised President Eisenhower's effort to eliminate all sorts of misunderstanding which is a common objective for the countries in the western hemisphere. He visited Washington with Mrs. Magloire on a two week trip as a guest of U.S President. They were welcomed at the airport by Vice President Richard Nixon and State Secretary John Foster Dulles and their wives. Following this trip, the U.S vice president Richard Nixon visited Haiti on March 3, 1955.

During his trip, Nixon had a formal meeting with the Haitian cabinet at the Presidential Palace and a conference where he expressed his concern for a paltry sanction (two million dollars) to Haiti for infrastructural development by International Bank. However, he was hopeful about the negotiation of a loan amount of $7 million by Export-Import Bank for the Artibonite dam and irrigation project (On April 20, 1955, the fund was sanctioned). He remained sincere and attentive all through the conference and admitted the need for a grant-in-aid to rehabilitate the loss caused by Hurricane Hazel in October 1954. During his short trip, Nixon once made a break from Magloire and met a woman with a donkey on the road. He asked the lady through his interpreter what is the name of her donkey? The lady replied, donkey!

There are many unknown facts which if revealed, could open new chapters in history or shed light on the dark side of the characters of great statesmen and politicians. "Walking Through Walls: A Memoir" is such a book written by Philip Smith. Author's father, Lew Philip was the interior designer of the White House. Lew was a psychic healer as well.
Before the visit of Richard Nixon to Haiti, Haitian President Paul Magloire made several phone calls to Philip's father because he needed the guest rooms of his presidential palace freshened up as soon as possible since he was expecting a visit from Nixon to review Haitian troops. However, his over-enthusiastic hospitality could not hide his real motive; it was quite clear to the White House that he wanted to keep the U.S happy because he was wanting to drop a pot of foreign aid on himself, which would never see the light of the day after it landed silently on his Swiss bank account. Next part of the story is truly shocking. When the author's father Lew arrived in Haiti and completed the decoration as was asked for, Mrs. Magloire was very satisfied with his work, but in exchange, she asked her guards to hold Lew at gunpoint and forced him to newly decorate her whole palace before leaving for the U.S. Before Lew, one Italian decorator went missing in Haiti forever. It took Lew about six months to complete the decoration to the most splendid palace imaginable at an astronomical cost and Lew received a single 'glass paperweight with Magloire's portrait' as a price for his service. Lew's family was in complete darkness on his whereabouts in Haiti, his wife, preparing for widowhood, moved from door to door in the U.S. but none cared for a decorator's wife.

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Here is a picture of Vice President Richard Nixon of the United States and his wife Thelma Catherine "Pat" Nixon during a visit to Haiti in 1955. President Paul Magloire was accompanied with his wife, Yolette Leconte Magloire.

When former U.S President Richard Nixon visited Haiti back in 1955 along with his wife Thelma Catherine "Pat" Nixon, he was acting in the capacity of Vice President of U.S and Haiti was under the leadership of ruler Paul Magloire. On March 3, 1955, following the formal presentation of the Cabinet to Vice President Nixon at the Palace, the Vice President attended a conference on the request of Haitian President Magloire. Richard Nixon was accompanied by some dignitaries like Assistant Secretary of State Holland, the American Ambassador, the Haitian Ambassador to the United States and Mr. Robert Newbegin. M. Mauclair Zéphirin, Secretary of State for Foreign Relations, acted as interpreter.

During the conference, Nixon expressed his deep concern because the International Bank had indicated that the maximum loan it could make to Haiti would be in the sum of two million dollars. He also mentioned that before the visit of International Bank representative in Haiti one year ago in 1954, he was very optimistic about the loan amount. He thought that sanctioned amount would be enough to cover the cost of constructing a highway from Port-au-Prince to Aux Cayes at an estimated cost of seven million dollars. He said he is very hopeful on the outcome of the negotiations of a loan from the Export-Import Bank for the Artibonite dam and irrigation project; it is proceeding satisfactorily and expecting a quick announcement (On April 20, 1955, the Export-Import Bank authorized a $7 million additional loan to Haiti for the flood control and irrigation project in the Artibonite River Valley).

Without making any promise, the Vice President remained very attentive in discussion, made some inquiries to clarify statements made by President Magloire, discussed on different dimensions on the program and activities of the FOA in Haiti, appreciated few ongoing Haitian projects such as irrigation projects in the Aux Cayes area, Ambassador Nixon expressed his wish that a grant-in-aid should be provided to assist Haiti in its economic rehabilitation made necessary by the Hurricane Hazel.

Starting with the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt in 1901, 14 different United States presidents have made a total of 36 visits to the Caribbean. Fourteen (14) Caribbean countries have had at least one visit, with the most visited countries being Bermuda with eight (8) visits, the Bahamas with six (6), Trinidad & Tobago with five (5), and Jamaica with four (4) visits. Franklin D. Roosevelt made the most trips (14) either on vacation or while involved with Allied diplomatic interactions during World War II. Of the 13 sovereign countries in the region, four--Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines--have not as of yet been visited by an American president. Haiti has been visited by 3 U.S. Presidents so far:

Calvin Coolidge, July 5-6, 1934 Haiti Cap Haitien: Informal visit en route to a vacation in Hawaii
Bill Clinton March 31, 1995: Haiti Port-au-Prince Attended transition ceremony for United Nations Mission in Haiti
Former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton's first joint visit to Haiti in 2010 after the earthquake

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Little Haiti of New York, spanning a large portions of Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues, from Parkside Avenue to Avenue H in New York City has been officially designated. This section of Brooklyn where generations after generations of Haitians have landed has been finally designated. We can all say that there is now a Little Haiti In Flatbush and another one in Miami, Florida.

June, 2018: Haitian-Americans gathered in Flatbush street corner to celebrate the creation of "Little Haiti Business and Cultural District.". The area was previously designated "Little Caribbean"

As per news dated June 5, 2018, after years of meetings and planning, the New York City Council announced a ceremonial resolution to name a certain section of Flatbush "Little Haiti." Rodneyse Bichotte, State Senator Kevin Parker, and Councilmember Jumaane Williams, along with local organizations and community members are among the spearheads to designate a part of Flatbush as the Little Haiti Cultural & Business District.

However, according to Rodneyse Bichotte, who is the first Haitian-American to be elected to the State Legislature from New York City, although the Haitian community supports the designation of both 'Little Haiti' and 'Little Caribbean,' "the decision to name Flatbush Avenue 'Little Caribbean' was done without enough community support or involvement."

The proposal generated support mostly from Haitian communities like the Haitian American Caucus, Haitian American Business Network Chamber of Commerce and Haiti Cultural Exchange. Even the move of Bichotte and a host of other elected officials and activists to name "Little Haiti" has been met with criticism and termed as "misguided" and one of "division."

In an email to Bichotte, a host of some elected officials, including Council Member Mathieu Eugene and Rep. Yvette D. Clark, Ernest Skinner, a local community organizer and activist, have asked, "When did Haiti stop being part of the Caribbean? Sowing division may be why Haiti has never been able to reach its full potential."
The designation for "Little Caribbean" was initiated by Flatbush native Shelley Worrell, founder of CaribBEING, a local non-profit cultural institution founded in 1999. CaribBEING celebrates Caribbean heritage in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood of Flatbush, Brooklyn. She is a longtime supporter of the Little Caribbean and she is trying to preserve and celebrate Caribbean food, culture and small businesses in this area. Shelly bought a shipping container and turned it into a pop-up art space. She transformed every inch of her container with the feel of a breezy, beachside Caribbean aura.

In a statement Bichotte has said that Haiti has had a unique position within the Caribbean -- it is geographically in the Caribbean, but not of the Caribbean. History has created its distinct identity which is why Haitians have had to build separate communities and organizations in order to survive.

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Here is a picture of the congresswoman Frederica Wilson from Florida elected to replace Congressman Meek.

With the support of Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, the House passed by voice vote a bill on Tuesday directing the Obama administration to assess relief and reconstruction spending in Haitiafter the earthquake

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Here is the first Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, viewing the devastation in Port-au-Prince after the 2010 Haiti Earthquake. She stated that it was really moving to see the devastation.

She also visited a bus where the children were involved in art therapy.

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Here is a picture of First Lady Michelle Obama accompanied with a security personnel as she arrived in Haiti three months after the earthquake. She was in Haiti with Jill Biden.

The two ladies took a tour of the devastating area, before landing on the yard of Haiti National Palace to meet President Rene Preval

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Here is the pictures of three U.S. Senators. It is David Perdue, Marco Rubio and Johnny Isakson and they all want sanctions on Haiti.

As per news dated April 21, 2016, three U.S. Senators David Perdue (R-GA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) have expressed their growing concern with the political situation in Haiti and have urged the U.S Secretary of State John Kerry, in a letter dated April 15, 2016, to use every tool at his disposal to ensure Haitian authority works closely with the Interim President Privert and the new CEP and completes its presidential elections process by the agreed upon deadline by April 24, 2016. The authority must punish those who plan to disrupt the election for their own interest. The election as a whole has cost about $80 million in which the United Stated had invested more than $30 million and a lot of diplomatic effort.

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Here is a picture of Brooklyn Councilman Mathieu Eugene reacting on a joke made by The DJ Luis Diaz, radio station HOT 97. The Radio host said that the reason he was HIV Negative is because he did not mess with Haitian women.

By that declaration, he wants to say that Haitian women are HIV Positive

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These pictures show Jean Bertrand Aristide arriving at Bangui M'Poko International Airport which is an international airport located northwest of Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, following his second exile from Haiti.

The second set shows Jean Bertrand Aristis, his wife Mildred Aristide and their two children Christine and Michaelle Aristide arriving in South Africa where he would be allowed to live in exile until he can safely return to Haiti.

For the second coup D'Etat given to Jean Bertrand Aristide, not so much as individuals but rather countries are accused. On February 29, 2004, the US, France and Canada are accused to be the masters behind the overthrew of Jean Bertrand Aristide government.

Following several weeks of conflicts, Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted in a 2004 Haitian coup d'état in which one of his former soldiers (Guy Philippe) took the leading role. However, Aristide accused the U.S as one of the accomplices for orchestrating the coup d'état against him with support from Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson and countries like France, Canada and some others. On 25 February, 2004, Guy Philippe and rebel forces surrounded Port-au-Prince and announced plans to arrest Aristide. On 29 February, 2004, Aristide resigned as President and left Haiti with his wife on board a U.S. military plane to the Central African Republic. In an interview on CNN, on March 2, 2004, he said he was told to resign to avoid bloodshed. He later claimed that, his departure was a kidnapping, accusing the U.S. for orchestrating a coup d'état against him.

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You are looking at a Caco or a Haitian nationalist fighting against the 1915 US Occupation of Haiti.

Great Depression Ends U.S. Occupation in Haiti

When American forces began occupying Haiti in 1915, the island was in political and economic distress. America feared a German takeover of susceptible Haiti, and took control of the country's infrastructure, even writing its Constitution.

Haitians soon grew to hate the Occupation. They felt used, betrayed, and deprived of their autonomy.

Lonely when America's Great Depression occurred did they pull out in 1934 under pressure from American citizens, who disapproved of the U.S. spending too much money in Haiti.

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