We and the world will always owe Haiti something special for its unique and singular contribution of breaking the back of enslavement in Haiti, expanding the realm of freedom in the world and then daring to aid others. Indeed, Haiti did for human freedom what the US founding fathers could not imagine or accept. And the French Revolution first outlawed enslavement in the country but not in the colonies, but driven by the Haitian Revolution, it included the colonies in its abolition of enslavement in 1794. However, France under Napoleon reestablished enslavement in 1802 and did not end it permanently and completely until 1848. Thus, Haiti offers a model and legacy of not only being the only country in history to free itself in revolutionary struggle against enslavers and aid others in their liberation struggles, but also through its struggle and victory, it opened liberated and living space for the beginning of the abolition of systemic enslavement in the world.
In this historic month of Insurgent Black August, we mark the 235th anniversary of the beginning if the Haitian Revolution, August 21-22, 1791 and the 222nd anniversary of the Haitian people’s Declaration of independence, January 1, 1804. We remember and raise up Haiti’s decisive defeat of its enslavers, their allied armies and political forces that sought to prevent and crush its national liberation; its revolutionary inspiration and assistance of liberation struggles in Latin America; and its becoming a beacon of African and human liberation, teaching possibility and achievement against all odds and enemies.
We reflect on and discuss this especially this month, even in the midst of our deep moral concern, understandable sadness and righteous anger about and resistance to the Trump regime’s trampling on the lives and futures of the Haitian people and laws to protect them. For we know resistance is not only opposition to oppressors and oppression, but also affirmation of the good and victories achieved and sustained and of our sacred, soulful, resilient, resourceful and beautiful selves. And we know too that resistance is also about aspiration, active aspiration for a new history and humanity in the world and willingness to work and struggle to bring this aspiration into being. Thus, in the midst of the vicious madness and vulgar meanness that define this gansta government and its racist rampage through the lives of our Haitian sisters and brothers, we reaffirm their humanity and human rights, their contribution to human freedom, and our continuing commitment to stand in solidarity and struggle with them. And as pan-Africanists, we understand their struggle as part and parcel of our own,
This June 25th a servilely compliant Supreme Court handed Trump another weapon for his arsenal of wanton destruction he asked for, ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian migrants and placing over 350,000 people at risk of being deported. Indeed, the deportations have begun in the most brutal, disruptive and disabling ways. These 350,000 vulnerable persons who came here seeking refuge, asylum and a better life are now being told and brutally shown that there is no balm in Gilead America, no sanctuary in the city or the countryside. Thus, once legal authorization to work and deportation protections had been taken from Haitians, it caused a parallel process of layoffs at various kinds of workplaces around the country. But despite all the racist chamber pot filth and falsehood Trump regularly throws out the White House windows, these are good neighbors, health care workers, professionals, business owners, taxpayers, family members and fellow faith tradition doers of good.
Haitians received TPS after the devastating earthquake of 2010 and in consideration of continuing political instability, insecurity and economic and political collapse rooted in a history of US imperial occupation, disruption, weapon supply to outlaw groups and gangs, overthrowing the first democratically elected president and placing a series of puppets to do the bidding of it and its European crime partners. And still, it rules and wreaks havoc in Haiti and delights in blaming its history of designed chaos and cultivated collapse on Haitians, the victims of this systemic evil.
There are several moral, legal and rational problems with Trump’s policies of persecution punishment and deportation. A key principle of international law concerning refugees and asylum seekers is they are to be saved from harm and danger not placed in it. The US cannot morally, legally or rationally argue for knowingly sending people in harm’s way, when the US government maintains a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for Haiti. Thus, it is morally wrong hypocritical and unjust to deport people to a country classified as unsafe and severely dangerous for Americans.
Moreover, given that many of the families are both citizens and migrants, this will mean separation and disruption of family life, adding to the cruelty of this unnecessary and racist policy. Also, many of the deportees are being sent back to places they have not lived in for decades, where family and social networks have been disrupted and people have been displaced in great numbers, and there is a clear lack of resources and infrastructure to ensure security and provide basic needs.
Surely, then, we must intensify and expand our efforts of support for the Haitian people. The legislative initiative H.R. 1689, authored by Rep. Ayanna Pressley which extends Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti for three years was an important victory. Now, we must struggle to ensure the passage of the parallel Senate bill S. 4814 which is stalled in the Senate and represents the last current legislative attempt to prevent another major humanitarian tragedy, save lives, keep families together and ensure a good future for the Haitian people.
Our task is to make an all-out sustained effort to get this bill passed with enough votes to override Trump’s promised veto. This means creating a national and global daily conversation about Haiti and the importance of this struggle; strengthening and expanding networks of cooperation in work and struggle among ourselves and with Haitian organizations; calling on faith communities and activist organizations to say more, question more and do more; using social and corporate media to center the issue of justice for Haiti and Haitian people; and strengthening our internal pan-African unity (Umoja) so that it is both principle and practice in the most transformative and effective ways. And in doing this we answer again the call to struggle across the centuries of two central leaders of the Haitian Revolution, Mambo Fatima and Houngan Boukman, who told us in words and the ways they gave themselves resolutely and unreservedly to the liberation struggle. They call to us saying, “Listen to the voice of freedom that speaks in all our hearts” and forms the foundation of the good future we all want and deserve, and then dare to struggle and achieve it.
