Henri Christophe was a military leader in the Haitian Revolution as well as president and later king of the young nation. Born into slavery in 1767, Christophe was brought to French colonial Haiti, known as Saint Domingue, most likely from Kitts. There he worked a … Read MoreHenri Christophe (1767-1820)
The Spanish colony of Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic) would be the target of aggression from its Hispaniola neighbor, French-ruled Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), in the early nineteenth century culminating in a twenty-two year occupation which would have long term consequences for both nations. Haitian … Read MoreHaitian Invasions and Occupation of Santo Domingo (1801-1844)
TransAfrica was organized on July 1, 1977, as a non-profit organization that sought to give aid to predominantly black nations. Any concerns that dealt with the economy, politics, and society in nations, including Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America, were monitored by the organization. It … Read MoreTransAfrica Forum (1977- )
Cyril Lionel Robert James was born in the British colony of Trinidad on January 4, 1901. James was a bright youth who absorbed literature, history, music, sports, and art-the foundational texts of Western civilization. He attended Queen’s Royal College in Port of Spain, but chafed … Read MoreC.L.R. James (1901-1989)
American novelist Edwidge Danticat was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on January 19, 1969. Like many Haitian families, her parents fled her homeland for the United States to escape the Jean-Claude Duvalier regime, leaving Danticat and her brother in Haiti for the time being. In 1981, … Read MoreEdwidge Danticat (1969- )
Joseph Phillipe Lemercier Laroche, the only passenger of known African ancestry who died on the Titanic, was born on May 26, 1889 in Cap Haiten, Haiti. He was the son of a white French army captain and a Haitian woman who was a descendant of … Read MoreJoseph Phillipe Lemercier Laroche (1889-1912)
The Republic of Biafra was a short-lived Nigerian secessionist state which came into existence on May 30, 1967 when the Igbo-dominated southeastern corner of Nigeria seceded in the formation of its own independent country. Following its defeat in the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970), on January … Read MoreRepublic of Biafra (1967-1970)
Dr. François Duvalier, also known as “Papa Doc,” was the president of Haiti from 1957 to 1971. His regime was notorious for its autocratic and corrupt rule. Born on April 14, 1907 in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, François Duvalier was the son of Duval Duvalier … Read MoreFrançois “Papa Doc” Duvalier (1907-1971)
Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, the son of the infamously corrupt and authoritarian Haitian president François “Papa Doc” Duvalier, was president of Haiti from 1971 to 1986. Born on July 3, 1951 in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, he grew up largely in isolation, spending his time … Read MoreJean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier (1951-2014)
The Milice Volontaires de la Sécurité Nationale (MVSN), or the (Militia of) National Security Volunteers was a Haitian paramilitary force founded in 1958 to defend the autocratic and corrupt regime of François “Papa Doc” Duvalier. The MVSN, commonly known as the Tonton Macoutes, was notorious … Read MoreTonton Macoutes (Milice Volontaires de la Securite Nationale – MSVN)
