For the Culture!
L'union Fait la Force | Unity makes Strength
“ I am the daughter of Haitian immigrant parents”
It’s only right that I celebrate my Haitian heritage this month! I am the daughter of Haitian immigrant parents who lived a life in Haiti that embraced, loved, and cherished who they are. Being Haitian to me means living the dream my ancestors had when they freed themselves in 1804. I am a product of GREATNESS! Haitian Heritage Month is a time to celebrate and bring awareness to Haitian culture and history. Did you know that a huge reason I went for my Ph.D. in International Conflict Management was because of my love for Haiti? I want to use my research to highlight and bring more women to the forefront of change in Haiti.
Below I will share some amazing facts about women trailblazing through Haiti’s history!
Ertha Pascal-Trouillot: was the provisional President of Haiti from 1990 through 1991. She was the first woman in Haitian history to hold that office.
Alice Garout: Haitian suffragist and women’s rights advocate. She demanded that the US military stop sexually assaulting Haitian women to inflict terror on the community.
Yvonne Hakim-Rimpel: Journalist, human rights activist, and feminist movement leader co-founded the Women’s League of Social Action, the country’s first feminist organization, in 1934. She went on to create L’escale, the first feminist Haitian newspaper.
Maryse Vieux-Chauvet: One of the most important female writers of the 21st century, Maryse Vieux-Chauvet’s novel, Amour, colère, folie, is a feminist perspective of life under the Duvalier dictatorship.
Catherine Flon: the goddaughter of founding father Dessalines, served her country as a nurse during the revolution. She’s most remembered, however, for sewing the first Haitian flag.
Edwidge Danticat: As an author, Edwidge can be credited with bringing the beauty, complexity and pain of Haiti and its diaspora to a 21st-century English-speaking audience, allowing the world to acknowledge the nation and its people beyond stereotypes and banal reporting.
Y’all, this just a few! There were/are Haitian women setting the path and example to young girls and women all over the world! We lift these queens up and celebrate ALL of their accomplishments. What are you doing to celebrate Haitian Heritage Month?
Resources: https://remezcla.com/lists/culture/herstory-haitian-women-to-celebrate/