12571: July 28, 1915 Remembered (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: karioka9@cs.com

July 28 is such a sad day in Haitian history!  It is the day, back in 1915, when Uncle Sam invaded Haiti, took all the money, and  . . . stayed for 19 years.  (Sam's children do not like to hear this, but essentially this is what happened.)  A lone Haitian soldier, Pierre Sully, challenged the invaders who shot him dead.  Goodbye Dessalines ("pa vle wè blan"), hello Jim Crow! Charlemagne Peralte and his brave Cacos would promptly follow, but the fact remains that Pierre Sully died alone for our sins, and that 87 years later there are no streets or public places named after him.  Instead Sam's minions, otherwise known as Charlie's Angels, staged a come back eight years ago to keep things from falling apart.  Haitians remembered (bay kou bliye, pote mak sonje) and waved, to keep the Rambo clones from shooting their big guns at them. But what the "friendly" invaders came to do got done -- with mucho help from the Conzés of the day, now known as "grands mangeurs."

Everything that our forefathers fought for 200 years ago is being undone.  (Like Pierre Sully, my own forefathers were foot soldiers, not generals.)  When we were children, we wished we were there when Pierre Sully called his challenge, so that he wouldn't die such a lonesome death. It is perhaps in honor of our youth that those of us who remember try to do something every year on that day. To mark a turning point in our country's history.

This year in New York, it is the Haitian Collective on WBAI (WBAI is a progressive radio station broadcasting on the internet and on 99.5 FM in the NY metropolitan area) that will host a commemorative program on Sunday, July 28, in Brooklyn.  As a member of that collective, I urge those of you from the area to attend.  Not to wax nostalgic with poor Daniel Simidor who is getting old while his dreams are still unfulfilled, but because as a Haitian patriot or progressive (even as a Soup Joumou liberal), it is your responsibility to take a stand, so that Pierre Sully doesn't die alone tomorrow, fighting against the neoliberal onslaught, fighting against the sub-colonization of our country by the Dominican compradors.

Our program will begin at 6pm promptly, for those who arrive on time. The kicker will be a projection of David Belle's video, "Pawol Gran Moun."  I haven't seen the video, so I will not comment on it.  Ah, but we promise you a big screen.  The collective will ramble on various subjects for a while after the projection, but mercifully we will get to the discussion part quickly, when you can voice your concerns and insights on any topic appropriate for the occasion (US occupations, free trade zones, sweatshops, community radio, the Haitian left, what's going on in Haiti, etc).

Our venue for this occasion:  Church of the Evangel, 1950 Bedford Ave. (between Winthrop and Hawthorne).  The Q train (Park Place station) and the No. 2 train (Winthrop station) will take you there.  Call Haiti-Progrès (718-434-8100), or respond to this email, for additional information.

Daniel Simido