16280: (hermantin) Miami Herald-Library covets Haitian collections (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Mon, Aug. 04, 2003



Library covets Haitian collections

BY MANOUCHEKA CELESTE
mceleste@herald.com

Before he committed suicide, Henry Christophe was a controversial president
and a self-declared king of Haiti.

His story, along with those of other historic figures and the common people
of Haiti, may find a permanent home at the African-American Research Library
and Cultural Center near Fort Lauderdale.

Marvin Dejean, director of Minority Development and Empowerment, Broward's
largest Haitian community center, is leading the effort to buy two troves of
Haitian books, documents and other artifacts for the library's permanent
collection.

Julie Hunter, the library's executive director, said the artifacts would
increase the value of current collections and expand the library's
information about the people who make up the African diaspora.

Since the Haitian community is a significant part of South Florida, a
permanent collection reflecting its history would be a service, Dejean said.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, more than 65,000 Haitians live in Broward
County.

Although most collections of Haitian books, artifacts and art are private,
some are becoming available to the public.

One of the leading collections of Haitian art is housed at the Milwaukee Art
Museum. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York, the
Cambridge Public Library and the University of Kansas also have large
collections of literature, nonfiction works of history and politics.

The University of Florida's library has one of the largest Caribbean
collections in the world, especially on Haiti.

The Broward library hopes to acquire two private collections in South
Florida -- one belonging to Gerard Latortue of Boca Raton, son-in-law of
Haitian diplomat Mauclair Zephirin; and the collection of Max Manigat, a
bibliographer and retired professor who lives in Miramar.

Zephirin collected literature and political documents as he traveled around
the world. His son-in-law, widow and daughter are the guardians of the
collection, which includes hard-to-find books and accounts of Haiti's
revolution.

The books and documents have been in Latortue's garage, but he has recently
began moving them onto the shelves in his office.

They include a theater piece dated 1850 about Toussaint Louverture, leader
of the Haitian revolution.

''This is a book that's quite difficult to find,'' Latortue said.

Revolution de St. Domingue, published in 1819, has yellowed pages bound into
a rugged, rich brown cover. It is the memoir of a lieutenant general during
the revolution.

''There are books about the first days of the revolution and the Republic of
Haiti,'' Latortue said. ``The revolution's objective was to gain freedom for
blacks all over the world.''

The 1791 revolution against the French erupted after a Vodou ceremony at
Bois-Caíman. The 13-year struggle ended in 1804 with Haiti's independence.

Latortue said some of the books depict Haiti as a place that invited slaves
from all over the world, especially Florida, to come and be free.

In 2004, the country will celebrate its bicentennial, an event that some
Haitians hope will be a catalyst of change for the struggling country.

''This will be a time when people will rediscover the greatness Haiti used
to be and what is now,'' Latortue said.

Latortue spent part of his career with the United Nations, living in Togo
and the Ivory Coast. He now works as an international business consultant.
Latortue said he is open to having his collection at the African-American
Research Library.

''This could have a better social use in a public library,'' he said.

The other collection sought by the library contains Christophe's life story
among 3,000 books accumulated over 34 years. Christophe, who served as
commander under Louverture during the war, became the ruler of northern
Haiti, while the south had a republic ruled by Alexander Pétion.

During his reign, he established Catholic churches throughout, brought
English schoolteachers to Haiti and in his constitution obliged people
living together to get married.

He killed himself in 1820 after suffering a stroke and losing his army, his
source of power.

Manigat was a professor of history and one of the first professors of Creole
at the university level. He collected some of his books on his travels,
including his five-year stay in the Congo, and ordered some from Haiti.
Living in New York in the 1970s, Manigat ran a mail-order bookstore called
the Haitian Book Centre.

''I collected these books because I am an avid reader,'' he said.

He hasn't decided whether he would sell his collection to the library.

Dejean said the committee working on the project -- called Pon Lakay, Creole
for ''bridges to our home'' -- is working on making offers to Latortue and
Manigat. An expert from the Schomburg Center will help assess the value of
the two collections.

The library is home to numerous Haitian items, such as paintings, masks and
sculptures, most of which were donated by individuals, said Pearl Woolridge,
the library's head of special collections.

Library officials, Dejean and the collection owners agree that having these
books in the library would attract researchers to South Florida.

Otherwise, Latortue said, most researchers would have to go to cities like
Gainesville to find such a collection.

''It's important to have these books where people can have access,''
Latortue said.





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