A Reflection on Haiti’s Current Crisis
Haiti was once a success story of enslaved Africans who withstood French and, subsequently, American imperialism. So much has changed since. Reflecting on Haiti’s national anthem, the ‘Dessalinienne’, I found the irony in the descent into madness my country is currently experiencing.
Pour le Pays, pour la Patrie mourir est beau.’ A lot of my early memories are centred around this sentence. At the stroke of 8:00 a.m. each morning, for the most of 20 years, the bell of my school would ring, ushering a collective silence. Countless other students and I across Haiti would pour our hearts into song, eyes fixed on the flag as it unfurled its grandeur against the Haitian sun. Initially, these moments were merely a daily routine, our voices echoing lyrics we scarcely grasped. But as I aged, so did my understanding. The words grew heavy with significance and history—one that spoke of liberation and evoked inspiration. The flag, embodying unity, agricultural richness, and sovereignty was more than just a symbol; it was a statement that life for ‘my country, my homeland’ was worth sacrificing. There was a flag, a symbol of unity of a history that is (was?) worth proclaiming, ‘Pour mon pays, pour ma patrie mourir est beau.’ We declared it with all the innocence in the world, honouring a flag that stood for more than territory but as a testament to the resilience of history.
The more I reflect on our national anthem, the ‘Dessalinienne’, the more I find the irony in the descent into madness Haiti is currently experiencing. Composed in 1903, the Dessalinienne was a centennial tribute to our independence, a remembrance of Jean Jacques Dessalines, the first Haitian emperor. Yes, the Haiti you see now in the media was once an empire, a success story of the enslaved Africans stolen from their land. Why am I bringing you this far? Well, I think it’s essential to see this country in all that is not shown or talked about enough...
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