13072: Dorce posts: Re: 12077:Desmangles responds to Dorce and Racine (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: LAKAT47@aol.com

In a message dated 8/29/02 2:40:42 PM Pacific Daylight Time, "Desmangles,
Leslie" <Leslie.Desmangles@trincoll.edu> writes:

<< Who are these scholars? Were they not
 members of the Haitian elite? Why are we not recognizing the writings of our
 forebears (such as Price Mars who was one of the fathers of the negritude
 movement, Louis Mars, Dantes Bellegarde, and many many others). >>

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

All of whom distinguished themselves by writing outside their narrow class
division.  In other words, they saw the beautiful power and majesty of the
black Haitian experience: Kreyòl, music, Vodou and folk wisdom.  Most of them
were not speaking above the majority Haitian but honoring him.  Although
these men were in the elite class, they transcended that class, which is what
we exhort this group of elites to do.  It's not so complex, Dr. Desmangles.
It is a matter of honoring ALL Haitians....not just the French ones.  THAT is
the difference between those of whom you speak and those whom we are
discussing on this list.  I want to quote your last two sentences to
emphasize my point:  "Justin Elie, for instance, was a member of the elite;
he was
an accomplished musician who was well known in the musical world, and who
arranged many of the Vodou songs in his classical music compositions. What
could be more than Haitian than that?"

Well said, a classical musician paying homage to the religion of his
people.....the Haitian people.  All of Haiti's elite should all take a lesson
from that example, Dr. Desmangles.

Kathy Dorce~