13713: Nlbo: Thank you Marie Apollon (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Nlbo@aol.com

I would like to say thank you to Marie Appolon for translating her
grandfather's speech.
It still resonates today both in Haiti and in the U.S. Slavery seems to be
over, but  colonialism persists in Haitians' mentality, the way they treat
their own in presence of former colonizers.
I am thinking of how Haitians back stab, undermine one another in the work
place and  churches when there are white  missionaries. Haitians will do
anything to look good at the eyes of the "blan" who most of them don't even
see them as human beings.
I am in a church where 10-15 Haitians are giving me the cold shoulder because
 a white former missionary is telling them they don't need to learn, to be
educated about church's issues, about life in the United States.
I have proposed to have a Learning Center where college students can tutor
ESL, do literacy in the church hall.  The blan priest doesn't want to. He
even manages to divide visionaries with the average poorly educated Haitians
who are his  primary  entourage.  Haitians agree with him.
The colonial mentality is everywhere.