Happy Haitian Heritage Month!

Each day this month, I will drop a fun fact in Haitian history!

A Thread.

Haiti assisted Greece in their independence against the Ottoman Empire.

Greek government sent a letter to then Haiti's president Jean Pierre Boyer, asking him for military and monetary help for their fight against Ottoman rules.

Did you know the founder of Chicago was Haitian?

Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable founded the city of Chicago around the 1770s.

Did you know w/o Haiti, the US wouldn’t have most of its territory?

The Louisiana purchase was a consequence of the Haitian Revolt. Napoleon planned to invade the US w/Haitian soldiers however Haiti’s revolt against the French forced Napoleon into selling 15 states to the US.

5/4: Did you know Haiti has the WORLD’S LARGEST solar powered hospital ?

After the 2010 earthquake, 1,800 solar panels were installed for Hospital Universitaire De Mirebalais.

Which cut energy consumption by 60% compared to traditional lighting!

5/5: Did you know Haiti assisted Mexico in fighting for their independence?

Fransisco Xavier Mina (General)sought to liberate slavery of Spanish/French control & Alexander Petion(former president) supported him by sending soldiers to Texas in 1816.

5/6: Did you know the Merengue dance originated in Haiti then in Dominican Republic ?

Mérengue/méringue, originated in early 1800’s as a blend of African dance & the French Minuet. Haiti’s méringue or mereng can be fast paced but is known to be slower in tempo.

5/7: Did you know the first known black graffiti artist was Haitian ?

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s pieces ranged from abstract to political. He used his art to shed light on issues in the black community, capitalism & racism. His tag SAMO stands for “same old shit”.

5/8: Did you know Haiti has the most mountains out of all the countries in the Caribbean?

2 tallest mountains are Pik Lasel (highest peak) and Pic Macaya (2nd highest) part of Pic Macaya National Park

5/9: Did u know Haiti was the 1st carribean country to have an Olympic size pool?

The pool at Centre Sportif de Carrefour was built in 1982 & is 50 meters long! Pool has been out of use since 1990 but renovations were set in motion by the Haitian Fed of Water Sports in 2017.

5/10: Did you know Haitian Mother’s Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of May?

In Haiti they give out 3 colored flowers or ribbons.

Red/Pink, if your mom is alive.

White, if she recently passed.

Purple/Black, if she has been deceased for a long period of time.

5/11: Did you know Haiti’s first official movie theater opened in 1914?

Parisiana was located in Port au Prince & seated 500 people. Movie screenings were held at Pétion-Ville Grand Hotel prior to Parisiana. Unfortunately Parisiana burned down in 1930 by an arson attack.

5/12: Did you know any of these celebrities were Haitian ?

21 Savage
50 Cent
Blake Griffin
Zoe Saldana
Gary Dourdan
Dawn Richards
Tony Yayo
Jacki-O

5/13: Did you prior to Miss Haiti pageants, beauty/popularity contests were held in the early 1910s?

Les Beautés d’Haiti (The Beauties of Haiti), held in Port au Prince. Below are photos of an entry ballot asking for the ladies prefixes (Miss or Mrs) & their photo submissions

5/14: Did u know Dessalines’s aunt taught him everything he knew about combat?

Adbaraya Toya taught Dessalines how to fight as a soldier. She taught him skills such as hand to hand combat & knife throwing. Her training made Dessalines eventually join the 1791 slave rebellion.

5/15: Did u know a Haitian woman intiated the Haitian revolution?

Cécile Fatiman, a Haitian vodoo priestess whose spiritual guidance & power helped others enslaved seek revenge for their oppression. The ceremony she held in Bois Caïman sparked a historical reset.

5/16: Did you know one of Haiti’s first army lieutenants was a woman?

Suzanne Sanité Bélair was a freedom fighter, sergeant turned lieutenant in Toussaint Louverture’s army. Her & her husband, Charles Bélair, taught many escaped slaves how to defend themselves in battle.

5/17: Did u know Haiti’s last kingdom was ruled by a woman?

Anacaona ruled the Taino kingdom of Xaraguá, now western Haiti @ the time of the Spanish invasion led by Columbus in 1492. She was a rebel warrior who defied only men can conquer kingdoms.

5/18: Did u know the Haitian Flag hasn’t always look like this ?

May 18 1803, Dessalines took the French flag & tore the white out. A young girl of the area, stitched together the blue & red, side by side-creating a new flag. As the years went on, it was changed many times.