17589: (Hermantin) Sun-Sentinel-Haitian bicentennial party is about pride (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Haitian bicentennial party is about pride

By Kelly Brewington
Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted December 29 2003

As Central Florida Haitians commemorate Haiti's bicentennial on New Year's
Day, their hearts will go out to the homeland -- the Western Hemisphere's
poorest nation, ravaged by years of political unrest and economic
devastation.

They will look to the past for direction on the future. It has been 200
years since Haitian slaves demanded independence, defeating Napoleon
Bonaparte's French army and establishing the first black republic in the
world. But the Haiti of today appears further from achieving a democracy
than it has for decades.

So when Haitian-Americans gather Thursday near the Central Florida
Fairgrounds to mark the occasion, many have pledged to avoid mention of the
country's sorrows. Instead, they plan to immerse themselves in pride and
celebrate the ideals their country once fought for -- if only for a day.

"This is not about politics and all the problems in Haiti," said Elise
Camille, an Orange County deputy sheriff and organizer of the bicentennial
celebration. "This is our day to remember what our country was founded on
and to encourage all of us to put our heads together." Haiti can be a proud,
prosperous and stable nation, she said.

"If we did it once, we can do it again," she said. "During the revolution,
we had no intellectuals in Haiti, people didn't know how to read or write.
But we still gained independence from France and developed a democracy. We
can do it -- all we need is togetherness."

With an estimated 30,000 people, Central Florida's Haitian population is
burgeoning but still misunderstood, Camille said. She and others designed
Thursday's celebration with events she hopes will unite Central Florida
Haitians, as well as offer non-Haitians a glimpse into a rich culture.

Haitian advocates say their communities must overcome the stigma of "boat
people" fleeing an impoverished nation, and even video games such as Grand
Theft Auto: Vice City, in which players were told to "kill all Haitians"
before protesters persuaded the game's creator to remove the language.

"What many American people know about Haitians are boat people and that's
it," Camille said.

She has instructed her 7-year-old son to reply to taunts at his elementary
school playground by saying that Haiti was the first black republic. "He
doesn't really understand what that means, but he will," she said.

On Thursday, Camille hopes, he will begin to understand. The celebration
will include music and food and will feature a re-enactment of the historic
battle for independence.

Camille, the Sheriff's Office's liaison to the Haitian community, is one of
the area's leading Haitian advocates. She hosts a Creole public-access show
intended to help bridge language and culture gaps between law enforcement
and Haitian-Americans. People call her when their car is stolen or if they
need a translator to talk to their child's teacher.

The Sheriff's Office plans to recruit at Thursday's festival and has
launched programs aimed at helping the growing community better understand
law enforcement.

While cultural celebrations on Thursday aim to teach, they also will
entertain. On Thursday night, popular Haitian radio station Radio Classique
will have a bicentennial gala starting at 9 p.m., ending in the wee hours of
Friday morning.

While attendees are partying, enjoying traditional New Year's squash soup
called joumou, organizer Maryse Nau hopes the evening will instill a pride
that is missing among many Haitians. She and her husband, E. Lionel Nau, own
Radio Classique, and the couple have had a medical practice in Orlando for
18 years.

"We worked so hard for independence but, unfortunately, look where we are,"
Nau said. "It is painful even to say that other countries that won
independence after us are further ahead today. But we don't want to talk
about that. This is about pride."

Kelly Brewington can be reached at kbrewington@orlandosentinel.com or
407-420-6186.      Email story
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If you attend

What: Haitian Bicentennial Celebration, featuring music, food and a
re-enactment of the battle for independence.

Where: Soccer fields beside the Central Florida Fairgrounds. Colonial Drive
and Fairvilla Road.

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday



Copyright © 2003, Orlando Sentinel

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