13466: Re: 13460: Saint-Vil Re: two questions about the Revolution (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Jean Saint-Vil <jafrikayiti@hotmail.com>


Re: “I remember reading somewhere that to the neg, Dessalines was the
true hero, and to the blan and milat, that honor goes to Toussaint... Can
anyone shed light on this?”

All I can tell you is this, I have seldom met a “blan” or “nèg milat” who
speaks of Dessalines rationally, i.e. with due respect. Dessalines is indeed
seen more favourably by most “nèg nwa” – but not by all. There has been
plenty of Dessalines-suppression going on in Haiti, especially through the
mis-education provided by the Eurocentric/Christian schools. But also,
because of the demagogic “noirism” movement led by the likes of François
Duvalier and Léopold Senghor. These men having used the name of Dessalines
in vain in their inconsistent theories and behaviors, now reference to the
name of Dessalines is often greeted with suspicion.

However Toussaint has always been blessed for he was less "war-like" (i.e.
less proned to respond to white supremacist violence with what it truly
takes to cripple the beast). Toussaint Louverture was a marthyr - therefore
"a good negro" after death.

Haiti’s Toussaint Vs Dessalines thing is not unlike the U.S.’ Martin Luther
King vs Malcom X thing. In both cases you wound up with people who actually
hated to see both men alive - now in death, pretending one of them was a
hero so they may better satisfy their distaste of the one who was willing to
fight - with all the means necessary!

Not long ago, a friend wrote this to me concerning Danny Glover’s alleged
film project.

“Part of the delay was trying to figure out whose perspective the film
should be from, Toussaint, Dessalines.”

I am still keeping my fingers crossed - hoping Dessalines will not be
sacrificed once again. For, the so-called war crimes that Papa Dessalines is
accused of are no transgressions at all in the face of what was being done
to his people. And had he not done what he did, when he did, who knows where
we would have been today. Perhaps Napoleon Bonaparte, Thomas Jefferson and
al.. would have murdered twice as many Africans as they did over their
lifetimes (hey! how come these two folks still do not have a reputation of
mass murderers? - have you notice how their biographies are playing all the
time on A&E and TLC - without any mention of the number of people they
killed?
----------------

As for the question about women in the revolution, I know of two website
where you can find some relevant info in French .

http://www.haitiwebs.com/femmes/
http://www.windowsonhaiti.com/windowsonhaiti/docs-h.html

I am particularly fascinated by Sanite Bélair who was reportedly a sergeant
in the revolutionary army. Her heroic insistence that she be executed like a
soldier, along side her husband is amazing. The info on Windowsonhaiti.com
is credited to a woman who is also doing praise worthy work in Haiti today,
Mrs. Bayinnah Bello.

I will never forget the expression on this boy’s face when I, his part-time
teacher, took him to the Haitian Museum (MUPANAH) in 1997 (or 98) to see an
exhibit showcasing great women of Haitian History - including the info on
Sanite Bélair. Needless to say his female class mates were bursting with
pride but he couldn’t register the idea of a woman leading men in this
heroic army. We had a good time that day.

History: Herstory: Ourstory

Jafrikayiti
«Depi nan Ginen bon nèg ap ede nèg!»
http://www.i-port.net/sd-in-j/



----Original Message Follows----
From: Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>
To: Haiti mailing list <haiti@lists.webster.edu>
Subject: 13460:  Schuller: two questions about the Revolution (fwd)
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2002 13:55:15 -0600 (CST)


From: Mark Schuller <marky@umail.ucsb.edu>

In the spirit of bringing knowledge of Haiti and the world's most important
historical event to the world stage, i have a couple of questions.

First, i was struck, seeing Simon's second installment of _For the Love of
Freedom: Dessalines_ (DEFINITELY a must see to people to communicate the
drama
and heroism of the Revolution) and by re-reading _Black Jacobins_ the self-
conscious roles that the nwa and milat played.  According to both black
writers, the milat (Petion, Rigaud, Boyer) engaged in a cynical alliance
that
allowed them to, eventually, run the country's military, political, and
state
apparatus without interference from the French or other blan.  People who i
took to see the play were struck by the difference in racial ideologies and
consciousness between neg and milat, between Haiti and the U.S.

This led me to wonder about the historical racial memory of the revolution
and
its heroes.  I remember reading somewhere that to the neg, Dessalines was
the
true hero, and to the blan and milat, that honor goes to Toussaint.  I
actually
interviewed many Haitians on this subject at a vodou ceremony and on the
streets of Potoprens.  Can anyone shed light on this?

Second, especially after reading Bell's _Walking on Fire_ i was curious if
there is any historiography that includes the roles that women played in the
revolution?  Simon, taking from James, limits women's participation to what
my
freind called "only a sexual role."  Any conversation about this would be
helpful to me and, according to some Haitian women's organizations, Haiti's
self-image as it celebrates the bicentennial.  In the words of one
activist, "Haitian men think they have to be Dessalines to be men."
Arguably
Dessalines' greatest contribution to the Revolution was his fierceness and
his
unflinching, unapologetic use of force to deliver on the promise of freedom
made at Bwa Kayman.

Anyway.  Fourteen months to go...  :)

--
Mark  :0

L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE
Who's the terrorist?


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