The FLAG of Liberation

The impulsive reaction of removing the white from the French tri-color does not substantiate, as far as I am concerned, the notion of representation in a Nation-Flag. Just as I believe Creole and Voodoo should have been the official language and religion of the Republic of Haiti, a tri-color Green, Gold and Black should have also been the flag describing what Haiti represents and stands for. 

Dessalines and his counterparts were very well informed that Haitian natives and African migrants might have had more then a few things in common. That both had a common God that is all natural and both people believed in nature; consequently, if they were to choose a flag from scratch I believe they both would have agreed to a color that reflects nature: Green, the compromise of blue (sky) and yellow (sun), the essence of reproduction, would have therefore been their first choice. It did not seem either Dessalines or Cange were preoccupied by the thought of existentialism or naturalism when they met at Arcahaie to discuss Flag. In fact, at their meeting, they had one thing in mind and, at that time, the common thought was how to get rid of the oppressor and what it represented.

The natives of Ayiti were pacifist and naturalist people; they did not survive the white-man greed. As an honor to them, the color Green is intent to remembrance.

For nearly 300 hundred years, in this tiny island of Ayiti (Saint-Domingue was the name adopted by the French after the Spanish concession of this part of the Island and San Domingo was the eastern part of the island, today’s Dominican republic), African slaves survived white-man abuses and dominance. The second section of the new flag, gold, not only represents the endurance of the slaves but also the very essence of what the Spaniards have been there for. A picture of the freed slaves will shine in the center of the gold.

In a message of Unity Dessalines once said, "It does not matter your skin color, as long as you're Haitian you're Negroes"... Putting this effect what he meant to say was as long as a nation is socially divided it would be weak and vulnerable to any force to invade, especially forces that have reasons to want to teach a lesson to Haiti. Dessalines conveyed a strong message of black power and unity that was understood by colonists and unseen by blacks and mulattoes. Though mulattoes have fought against black for social controlled it remains that Haiti is a pure representation of Black Power. Because of that, the last segment of the flag is black, not because black represents dominance but unity under one umbrella.

Others have granted victory due to illness inflicted on the white-man. Whatever the reasoning, one fact remains: Haiti is today the first and only Slave made Republic in the world. Yeah! That sounds scary, doesn't it? Oh yeah, in the eyes of white supremacists, it does.

For many years Creole has been the talk of may politicians and intellectuals. It has been thought in schools in Haiti and in many high schools and American Universities. It is side by side with French as official languages. That is not what it ought to be but it's a beginning.  Creole is the official language of Haitians simply because every Haitian speaks Creole, that’s simple. So, shamelessly, let it be the official language.

Voodoo has recently seen the limelight. In presidential speeches and actions taken by many to recognize it legitimacy in Haiti, voodoo will probably be practiced in brought daylight instead of the middle of the night in the outskirt of civilization. This action by president Aristide, in my view, is going to be the biggest fight in social science history not because Haitians don't believe in voodoo but of social impact of the Catholic Church in Haiti. It is time that to openly admit that Voodoo is practiced by most Haitians, if not all at one point in life. One needs to differentiate it practices from abuses of many. As my friend Lucky Pierre Leblanc said: There is a fine fine line between Ginen & Bizango (black magic), the people who use chemicals to hurt and kill should all be hunted down and prosecuted. We have too many primitive and superstitious “tet chat” dealing all in the name of voodoo.”

The new tri-color, Green-Gold-Black, with the picture of a freed slave in the center of the gold has not yet seen the light, nor has it been properly introduced to the people of Haiti. I strongly believe a new Haiti can only emerge from a people free of every colonial thoughts; from a generation that is educated to understand the concept of a Nation and his country-man; from a generation that will forget the ignorance and prejudices of Haitian society; from a generation that understand progress and integration; and mostly, from a generation of Haitians that will have the ability to negotiate. The future of Haiti is very clear. It takes only sacrifices. We stop fighting against one another and learn to understand and speak to one another instead; and foremost, learn to listen and understand.

The full recognition of a refined non-Christian Voodoo as Haiti’s religion (hey, don't be surprised, most Haitian are Voodoo worshipers anyway); The full introduction of the Creole language into the political arena and, finally, The acceptance of the flag that gives true representation of the Haitian legacy would, in my opinion, liberate Haitians from the ordeal of colonial repression and domination.

A fresh Haitian being is born with a fresh mind and real perspective of being Haitian. 

“Gen Ase Pou Tout Moun”.

Hervé Fanini-Lemoine 

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