17074: Saint-Vil l: introducing Lafimen: History of the Africans of Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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

Wishes do come true - this, we Haitians know, eventhough their bible does
not tell us so...

How I wish when I was growing up, I had books that told me about the true
history of my people.  Books, that were helping me understand where our
people came from, what lives they lived before they got to our island,
before I was born, before the boats, crosses and guns arrived...  Books in
which the first picture I saw resembled me, instead of the Columbus face
that starred curiously back at us all, on the very first page of “our”
Histoire d’Haiti (Frères de l’instruction chrétienne).

How I wish, my brothers, sisters and I, we all had the privilege of learning
from our history classes about Her Majesty Queen Tiye, mother of Pharaoh
Akhenaton, the first monotheist ruler of Kemet, land of the “Blacks”, lands
and peoples which begat our wonderfully resilient kind.

How I wish every Haitian, young and old, had the tools today to truly grasp
the full importance of the anti-slavery revolution led by our heroic
forefathers and foremothers - and to fully endorse the tremendous
responsibility that comes with such great inheritance.

Oh, how I wish….

How I wish, the raging flames of truth , which others have attempted for so
long – with unfortunately some success - to burry under stones of deceit and
cowardice, would finally rise above the trash….this year, this month, this
week, today, at this very moment…

Cousin James Baldwin’s wishes did indeed help us foresee the fire next time.
My wishes, dear brothers and sisters, has yielded “Lafimen: Listwa Pèp
Ayisyen depi nan Ginen” (FLAMES: History of the Africans of Haiti), a
professionally mastered audio recording which narrates the history of the
Haitian people, unapologetically from a truth-centric perspective.

Delivered in Haitian Kreyòl, LAFIMEN’s primary target is the Haitian child,
man or woman but I am certain, it shall also find fans among countless
non-Haitian truth-seekers who have access to the beautiful language of our
people.

Wishing to wish no more, I have opted to contribute what I may to the
missionof those who espouse the "wish" to completely release OURstory from
its heavy and dirty shackles.

Let all pitit Ginen know the true stories of Kebinda, Makandal, Plimout,
Kola Bra Koupe, Yayou, Makaya, Defile, Boukman, Kwakou, Toussaint,
Dessalines, Sanite Bélair – whether they be on the streets of Channmas or
sitting comfortably on the  benches of Union School.

Let the flames go UP ! Amandla !

Jafrikayiti
www.jafrikayiti.com

“ and the Haitian boy looked at Choublak, dressed in her most elegant
Haitian “broderie” and smiled wide and free, complimenting her on the fact
that her smile is reputed to be as beautiful and genuine as that of Princess
Hatchepsut….”  - A Vision of Haiti Tomorrow!

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