13452: Desmangles: RE: 13450: URGENT from Mambo Racine - Invitation to Fet Gede (fw d) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: "Desmangles, Leslie" <Leslie.Desmangles@trincoll.edu>

Dear Mambo Racine:

Please don't assume that whites have done nothing for Haiti until you check
the details of the country's history. History speaks for itself, and it is
clear that whites have done a great deal for Haiti. The same is true of
Haitians who have done a great deal to unite the United States for, as you
pointed out yourself in one of your former posts, many gave their lives
fighting during the Civil War. And that's no small matter that's so often
not recognized and known publicly.

But I need to address the question that you raised. The fact is that whites
have made some significant contributions to Haiti. Here are then just a few
of these:

1. The Justinian Hospital in Cap-Haitien, The University hospital in
Port-au-Prince, the hospitals at les Cayes and Jeremie, all of which were a
great deal more efficent and better equipped than they are presently. My own
father was director of the Justinian Hospital and the hospital in
Port-au-Prince for a very long time and worked under the Americans as a
young doctor during the first occupation 1915-1934. In my youth, I heard
many stories from him about the construction of many of the buildings at
both hospitals. These projectsd were undertaken by Americans.

2. The University of Haiti was beefed up by Americans during the first
occupation. Until the 1950s, a medical degree from the then University of
Haiti was accepted in the United States, and many Haitian doctors came to
study and practice medicine in the U.S. (provided they passed the state
boards). They worked in the very best hospitals that exist in the U.S.
Columbia University had exchange programs of students and Faculty at the
University of Haiti. I know quite a few physicians who took advantage of
this program, including some members of my own family.

3. Almost all the public schools in Haiti were staffed by French priests and
foreign clerics, beginning in the 19th century after the signing of the
Concordat until the 1960s. Even during my own childhood, French priests
taught at many of the public schools. St Louis de Gonzagues, the Seminaire
St Martial (both of which I attended as a child), the Sacree Coeur and Lalue
shools, and so many others were founded and staffed by Catholic French (many
of whom were from Alsace) and Belgian missionaries in Port-au-Prince; the
Seminaire St Martial,the Salesians order, a member of which is Aristide
himself, worked for a very long time with the poor (You should know that the
Seminaire St Martial even had a black missionary to Haiti from Madagascar
and his name was Frere Leons, the only Catholic brother in the entire
school).

4. The first streets to have been paved in Haiti were done by Americans
during the Occupation.

5. The drainage system (most of which don't work anymore)in many of the
streets of the main cities of the country were built by Americans. The port
in Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haitian, Les Cayes, Jeremie were all built by
Americans during the first occupation (Les Cayes had one of the most
efficient postal systems in the world, one equaled on ly by that of the
U.S.)

6. The first automatic telephone to have been installed in the world was in
Haiti. The Americans tried it in Haiti before they installed it in the U.S.
It worked fine until the 1970s.

7. The first fire brigade for the city of Port-au-Prince was organized and
equipped by Americans during the first American occupation.

8. The American brought electricity to Port-au-Prince (and there was plenty
of it until the 1970s).

9. Much of Haitian literature was appreciated and published in many white
francophone countries. Many of these countires' schools (including the
Sorbonne) introduced Haitian literature in their curricula. These schools
then helped familiarize much of the world about the literature and the
writers of Haiti.

10. The first railroad (which doesn't work anymore) that traveled between
Prot-au-Prince and Gonaives ( I took it once as a child with my mother) was
built by Americans.

11. Many of the municipal, and government buildings were builf by whites.

These are just a few of the the accomplishments of whites in the Haitian
world, and there many others.

With these few lines, I merely want to correct some of your assumptions in
your last post. I hope that uninformed young people who have read your post
will not be misinformed by your comments. I also hope that they will read
this one, and be encouraged to do serious research on Haitian history.

Leslie Gerald Desmangles










-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Corbett
To: Haiti mailing list
Sent: 10/28/2002 7:51 AM
Subject: 13450:  URGENT from Mambo Racine - Invitation to Fet Gede (fwd)


From: Racine125@aol.com

I'd like to invite everyone on the Corbett list, espcially Corbetteers
already in Haiti, to spend Fet Gede in Jacmel with the Roots Without End
Society.  We will have a public service for the ancestors in the morning
of November 2, drums and banda dancing all day, and a dance for Baron,
Brigitte and the Gede lwa in the evening.

On November 4 we will have a brule zen ceremony, and again, all are
invited!  Sound recording, photography, and videography are not only
permitted, but encouraged.

:-)

We're located in the "Aviation" area of Jacmel, across the street from
the airfield.  Ask for "Mambo Kati" or "Mambo Racine", or for Madame
Blaise, the proprietor of the Rendez-Vous, which is in the same compound
as our peristyle.

In fact, the Rendez-Vous is a good place to stop over.  (Check out
http://www.geocities.com/rendez_vous_hotel/rendezvous.html just in case
you want to make sure of where you are going.)

Peace and love,

Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen

"Se bon ki ra" - Good is rare
     Haitian proverb

The VODOU Page - http://members.aol.com/racine125/index.html

(Posting from Jacmel, Haiti)