On December 17, 2022, Dr. Claudine Gay was appointed president of Harvard University. She became the first Black president in Harvard’s nearly 400 years of existence, attaining her new position after a competitive search which included over 600 applicants. Dr. Gay had previously served as … Read MoreClaudine Gay (1970-)
Luis Abinader, the 54th and current president of the Dominican Republic, was born in Santo Domingo on July 12, 1967. His parents were Jose Rafael Abinader Wassef and Rosa Sula Corona Caba. His grandfather emigrated from Lebanon and his mother’s ancestors were from the Canary … Read MoreLuis Rodolfo Abinader Corona (1967- )
A neurosurgeon and politician, Ariel Henry was born in Tabarré, Port-au-Prince, Haïti, on November 6, 1949, to Elie Saturné Henry, a lawyer and university theology professor from Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite, and Elvire Cantave Henry, a teacher from Port-au-Prince. Henry has five siblings, Monique Henry, … Read MoreAriel Henry (1949- )
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is a Haitian American businesswoman, attorney, and politician, who currently serves as the U.S. Representative from the state of Florida’s 20th congressional district. She was born on January 25, 1979 in Brooklyn, New York. Her stepfather, Dr. Gabriel Smith, and her mother, Marie … Read MoreSheila Cherfilus-McCormick (1979- )
The history of West Indian immigration can be traced back to the 17th century when enslaved Africans from Barbados, Jamaica, and Antigua were brought to the British North American colonies to work on plantations. The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) sparked another wave of immigration with thousands … Read MoreWest Indian Immigration to the United States (1900- )
Although Haïtien individuals have been coming to what is now the United States both as enslaved and free people since the colonial era, the single largest group of Haïtien immigrants arrived in 1972, thus initiating a movement that continues to this day. In 1972 thousands … Read MoreHaïtien Immigration to the U.S. (1972- )
Joseph Auguste Anténor Firmin was a Haitian scholar, politician and civil servant who is best known for his anthropological text published in 1885, De l’égalité des races Humaines (On the Equality of Human Races). Born in Cap-Haitien to a working-class family on October 18, 1850, … Read MoreAnténor Firmin (1850-1911)
Kirk Franklin and the Family, an ensemble that comprised 23 singers and musicians who were biologically related or friends, was spearheaded and directed by contemporary gospel Grammy Award recipient Kirk Franklin (born January 26, 1970, in Dallas, Texas). This informal musical collaboration became an official … Read MoreKirk Franklin and the Family (1992-2010)
The astonishing appearance of a high-ranking Black military officer in late 18th century Poland who led troops across Europe and in the Caribbean is further evidence of the breadth of the African diaspora. The product of an illicit affair in Paris between British-born Princess Maria … Read MoreWladyslaw Franciszek Jablonowski (1769-1802)
The 1521 Santo Domingo Slave Revolt occurred in the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo on the island of Hispaniola during that year’s Christmas festivities. It is the earliest recorded slave revolt in the Americas. Just days after the revolt occurred, a new set of laws … Read MoreThe 1521 Santo Domingo Slave Revolt
