eyes on haiti
why the world’s first Free Black Republic continues to struggle, centuries after self-liberation
Fervid warfare between heavily armed gangs, political groups, and national police forces has left Haiti in a state of anarchy. Decades of political turmoil, centuries of colonial oppression, and a tragic history of natural disasters are factors that have led to the latest migration of citizens, all fleeing the island in a state of fright and panic. Thousands continue to flee their native homes daily, searching for a haven in other Caribbean nations, as well as South America and the United States.
In recent weeks, the first self-liberated Black Republic has suffered a total collapse of governmental control at the most costly price; human lives. Over 17,000 people in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, have been left homeless. More than 2,500 have been killed, kidnapped or injured.
In addition to fearing for their lives each day as they struggle to survive heavy gunfire and bombings between clashing sides, the people of Haiti are battling a humanitarian crisis. Nearly half of the island's population battles famine. There are shortages of essential needs across millions of families. Haiti is facing a situation so grave that life expectancy has shrunk down to just 63 years of age.
How did the world’s first free Black Republic, a stunningly beautiful island outside of its poverty, turmoil, and gunfire, end up in the state that it's in? How could a country that rests less than 800 miles from US soil, perfectly tucked into the heart of the Caribbean Sea retain its status as the most impoverished sovereignty in the Western Hemisphere for so long? What can the world do to assist them? Fingers seem to get pointed in various directions other than the paths of prosperity that were blockaded from them by other world powers. My enticing introduction to Haitian history was one of freedom and Black liberation. Freshman year of college, the best professor I’ve ever had taught us about the legendary revolution led by François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture. We dove deep into his military tactics, and how he utilized political, agricultural, and armed resources during critical moments. This, combined with the profound willpower of the rebels of Saint-Domingue is what ultimately led to a convincing defeat of the French army, and official independence on January 1st, 1804.
Against all odds, the army of former slaves had won the battle for freedom over one of the most powerful empires in the world. For several years following the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte’s colonial forces, Haiti - renamed after its original Arawak name, continued to fight off French, Spanish, and British forces who attempted to reclaim the land.
Almost immediately after gaining independence, the island was outcasted by world powers, namely France, Spain, Great Britain, and the United States. In the early 19th century, America and Europe were well-oiled machines that had been conducting brutal systems of slavery, exploitation, and genocide for centuries. A Black-led independent nation created by former slaves who broke themselves free from hefty chains was an utterly frightening symbol of freedom and liberation from slavery that frightened all white-led nations to the core.
Haiti’s success as a sovereign nation would pose a severe threat to the identities of these white-led nations around the globe, further dismantling the wider world order of the time. This is the primary reason why the United States wouldn’t officially recognize Haiti until 1862, around the time when slavery was in the process of being abolished during the American Civil War.
In the early 19th century, then-US President Thomas Jefferson along with congressional assistance and European collaborators, isolated Haiti diplomatically. International trade blockades were placed on the young nation, all for the sake of “freeing themselves” from shackles, utterly depleting the young nation's economy. For centuries this embargo, combined with another improbable obstacle, would hinder Haitian prosperity for centuries to come.
The first few decades of Haiti’s history as a republic were critical regarding development. In search of repayment for former slave masters of the island, the French once again intervened. In July 1825, King Charles X of France sent an armada to Haiti with a grim message for its former subjects. The young nation was ordered to pay 150 million francs back to France to “secure” its independence, or else. This amount was 10 times that of the amount that the US paid the French in the Louisiana Purchase, which at the time had doubled the size of America.
Left at gunpoint, Haiti was forced to cave into France's demands, as the independence they fought valiantly for was non-negotiable. Well aware that the 150 million francs was far too large an amount for the young nation to pay outright, the French gave Haiti the “option” to take out loans with unreasonable interest rates from a French bank. Well into the next century, Haiti was forced to pay the slaveholders of France and their descendants the equivalent of around $30 billion in today's currency. 122 years would pass before Haiti could pay it off.
Haiti has also had a tragic history of natural disasters. In 2010 a devastating earthquake ravaged the country, causing more than 300,000 casualties and displacing hundreds of thousands more, leaving countless families homeless and heartbroken. The aftermath of the quake saw hampered efforts by citizens and international organizations trying to provide aid and medical assistance to survivors due to the failure of an already unreliable electric power system. During the weeks following the earthquake, very little aid had reached beyond Port-au-Prince. Other urban areas were hardly getting supplies while operations to rescue people trapped under homes, buildings, and wreckage had nearly ceased two weeks into the crisis.
An estimated three million people were affected by the quake, almost a third of the island’s population. Over one million Haitians were left homeless in the aftermath. Countless people in the devastated urban areas were left to squat in ersatz cities composed of found materials and donated tents. Looting became common in the absence of sufficient supplies island-wide but was exacerbated in Port-au-Prince following the escape of several thousand prisoners from the wrecked penitentiary that sat in the capital. These happenings continued for years, even into recent times.
The 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse was the latest major episode of a far-too-long series of crises in Haiti, before the last several weeks in which gangs have taken control over the island, warring against political groups and police. The assassination of President Jovenel Moïse is still unresolved, as is a clear solution to who shall govern Haiti after Prime Minister Ariel Henry tendered his resignation several weeks ago in the face of menacing threats from Gang leaders.
In recent weeks international discussions held between leaders of the U.N. are looking to build a progressive path toward sufficient Haitian governing. Last October, Kenya agreed to lead a U.N.-authorized international police force to Haiti but was blocked in January after the island’s top court labeled the move as unconstitutional.
After Prime Minister Ariel Henry proved himself unable to take heed and govern, thousands of Haitians have been speaking loudly in the face of their failed government, fleeing the country for the US and many places throughout South America.
No democratically elected representatives remain on the island. Drug traffickers and gang leaders are profiting from the chaos. Ex-police officer Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, a man who has risen to become of the speakers and leaders of the band of gangs, continues to shun those who present themselves as alternative leaders of the state. Gangs continue to reject outside transition plans and keep threatening those who take part. Their solution: growing their power, choosing their leaders, and the continuity of trade in drugs, arms, kidnapping, and extortion.
While the U.N. and the rest of the world continue to devise plans for a better solution toward a sufficient Haitian government, one idea has been circulating conversations surrounding the matter. Shortly after the devastating 2010 earthquake, a group of activists, scholars, and journalists wrote a series of letters to former French president Nicolas Sarzoky, urging him to pay Haiti back the money it demanded after gaining independence. Some USD 28 billion, at least. Practically scoffing at the idea back then and unlikely to pay Haiti back anytime soon, the country’s GDP for the entire year of 2022 was 19.9 billion USD. If given the reparations they’re rightfully owed, a debt that took them well over a century to pay off, imagine the progressive possibilities that could take form if their original oppressors took responsibility for their wrongdoings.
Dr. Gay wasn’t the only university president who sat above this cauldron of pressure. Numerous leaders of schools across the country cautiously navigated the gaping topic awkwardly, trying their absolute best to deliver tranquility in a nearly impossible situation. Former University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill, also criticized by Ackman, resigned back in December in the face of antisemitic accusations following widely criticized remarks at a congressional hearing.
While there was an overwhelming amount of calls for Dr. Gay’s resignation, she has had support along the way from people at Congress and on campus. Well over five hundred Harvard professors signed a letter on Dec. 12th, vouching for her, urging the university to resist calls of removing her from office. Alison Frank Johnson, Chair of the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures at Harvard was one of the professors who signed the letter. She expressed her feelings of shock about the resignation during an interview last week with CNN’s Jake Tapper.
Countless instances of scholarly misconduct, including plagiarism, can be highlighted by numerous distinguished professors, scholars, and leaders from across the globe. Notably, Justice Neil Gorsuch faced widespread criticism from Democrats during his 2017 Supreme Court nomination for the nearly-dozen counts of unaddressed plagiarism in his scholarly work. However, he was still elected into the Supreme Court and his work is still widely cited today. Asking a university president to resign due to plagiarism, or due to a congressional hearing that was admittedly misworded but also extremely taken out of context, is one of the more explicit cases of double standards that Black women in power face frequently. All of this to say: the irony of “becoming aware” of the accusations against her academic writings arriving in late October, weeks into the war in the Middle East, is all but coincidental.
Immediately following her resignation, leaders of the revolt against former president Gay celebrated the news across numerous platforms including social media, as if a great victory had been won. One of the more infamous voices that sounded off in commemoration was conservative anti-DEI advocate Christopher Rufo, the one who brought both allegations of plagiarism and antisemitism into the public spotlight. “This is the beginning of the end for DEI in America's institutions," said Rufo in a social media post. "We will expose you. We will outmaneuver you. And we will not stop fighting until we have restored colorblind equality in our great nation.”
When pondering whether Claudine Gay resigned from Harvard due to plagiarism, anti-semitic comments, and criticisms about her leadership, or lack thereof, ask yourself this: would she have gotten more opportunities at redemption if she weren’t a Black woman? Would Harvard stand firmly by her side if, let’s say, she was a white man? The nearly 400-year-norm at Harvard, before Claudine Gay and former president Drew Gilpin Faust, the university’s first female president who led the school from 2007-2018.
Contrary to the sentiments of Christopher Rufo and millions of people like him, for many of us - DEI is crucial. Especially those who come from marginalized backgrounds. Without it, the very thing that you seek to cancel and destroy, people like Claudine Gay would never have an opportunity to become president of the most prestigious school in the country.
It’s fitting that the vast majority of people who are adamantly against diversity, equity, and inclusion, are not only privileged and unaware of the privileges they were born with, but are incoherent and blind to the harsh realities that exist, and have been in existence for quite some time. They have no idea what it’s like to have to work three times as hard for a position than your white male counterpart, regardless if you’re overqualified. And if and when you’re “granted” a seat at the table, it typically comes with far less pay and much more scrutiny. Far less room to make mistakes, if you will.
The false, fatigued, and thoroughly impudent narrative of Black women being too incompetent to excel in positions of power needs to conclude, today. Especially in the realm of academia, where the importance of seeing Black faces thrive throughout grounds shared by brilliant minds, is more mountainous now than ever before. The same biased, imbalanced, and lackluster playing cards that are constantly given to our people in this country, can no longer be dealt.
Seeing Black women excel in executive roles such as CEOs, owners & founders, innovators, distinguished board members, and especially as presidents of universities, is vital. Not only for Black women but for all women who come from marginalized backgrounds. We have younger sisters who are growing into magnificent women. Brilliant, kind, intuitive, empathetic, and daring. These traits will be crucial as they maneuver through the world and crossover into adulthood. Nothing is ever promised, but one can almost guarantee that they will certainly face the same ill-favored and disproportionate treatment as Claudine Gay, in whichever career they choose to pursue.
The dialogue surrounding this topic, at the very least, could assist the next generation of Black leaders and thinkers by extending more cognizance to the world and bringing our issues to the forefront. By spreading more awareness toward egregious agendas deeply rooted within the core of certain political groups in this country, we can sow unbiased and uncontaminated intentions of identifying these cases of prejudiced treatment toward Black women and people on a wider margin, into the fabric of true equality and equity, for us. One day, people other than our own and the few allies we have will possess the ability to promptly recognize immoral and inequitable treatment the moment they sense it, and hopefully, extinguish the fire of hatred that used to be suppressed on the surface - but is now clearer than ever.
