Kreyol Belle

Since my first visit to haiti in 1997 it has become my favorite place.

An old fascination with the first people to defeat the white slaver empire came to fruition then. I had been interested in Haiti for about 20 years, since first reading a history of the Haitian revolution. The first nation, a new people, to truly win its own freedom; a hero nation.

Bob Corbett and J. Marcel Wah Jr gave me advice on where to stay for that first venture.

In 1998 I returned for 6 weeks, at Kanaval, in St Marc with the Guillame family, and in Cap Haitien.
On my last day in St Marc,Charite became host to Ogoun, who told me to return to the Kreyol Belle. I shall.

Until she spoke no Christian nation had abolished Negro slavery.

Until she spoke no Christian nation had given to the world an organized effort to abolish slavery.

Until she spoke the slave ship, followed by hungry sharks, greedy to devour the dead and dying slaves flung overboard to feed them, ploughed in peace the South Atlantic, painting the sea with the Negro's blood.

Until she spoke, the slave trade was sanctioned by all the Christian nations of the world, and our land of liberty and light included. Men made fortunes by this infernal traffic, and were esteemed as good Christians, and the standing types and representations of the Savior of the World.

Until Hayti spoke, the church was silent, and the pulpit was dumb. Slave-traders lived and slave-traders died. Funeral sermons were preached over them, and of them it was said that they died in the triumphs of the Christian faith and went to heaven among the just.

Frederick Douglass

I have some travelogue type articles here:

Furcy to Seguin, Hayti: Trip across la Morne from Kafou Badyo to Ca Jacques and Seguin[2005]
Kenscoff, Hayti: Community happenings in the mountians of Hayti[2005]
Wash Day: Washing clothes with the new stove and Miracle Wash[2004]
May Day 2004: Agriculture and Labor Day, 1 Mai, 2004[2004]
The Week of War: The final week of St Jean Bertrand Aristide, 1 Mars, 2004[2004]
Rallye de Beaumont, 2003: Con Course at Rallye de Beaumont[2003]
Vwayaj to La Tonnel, 2002!: Visiting Dokte Phillip, at La Tonnel[2002]
Mac Donald Rail Road, 2001: Searching for the Mac Donald Rail Road, and Ravine Seche[2001]
St Marc, dept Artibonite, 2001 !: More about St Marc, du mil un. Side trips to Fete Ghede and the Vallee de St Marc.[2001]
St Marc, Hayti: Another visit to St Marc[2001]
Fete Ghede: Day of the Dead[2001]
Kanaval 2001 !: Kanaval in Okap, de mil un. Taken with a Lomo camera at night, 100 speed film.[2001]
St Marc, Hayti: Premiere visite St Marc[1998]
Route de Plaisance: Moto Mwen Haytian. First touring of the countryside on the Jialing Super Cent.[2001]
Kanaval!: At Kanaval, in Port au Prince.[1998]
Petite Riviere de'l Artibonite: A short visit to Ti Rivye, containing pictures of Market La and the town.[1997]
Mwen Chouffer: Adventures on the tap-tap in Haiti. [1998]
Selmen Twurist en Ayiti: A travelogue of my 1997 trip, developed from a reply to a letter from Marcel. [1997]
Teachers Strike in Haiti: My adventure at the 1997 Teachers strike in Port au Prince. [1997]
1871 Tour of Haiti: A translation of an 1871 publication. It was originally posted to the Corbett village mailing list.

The essential links to all things Haitian start with these sites:

Wikipedia on Ayiti/Hayti: Wikipedia has many entries on Hayti/Ayiti, with duelling political tendencies in evidence
Holy Angels Orphanage: The blog site for Holy Angels Orphanage in la plaine
Saint Josephs Home for Boys: The brochure for Saint Josephs, my first home in Haiti
Windows on Haiti: Guy Antoine of Cap Haitien and Dondon, has been doing this nice site since 1999 or so
Haitian Embassy: The website of the Haitian Embassy has become irrelevant. Please call the Consul General if you know her.
Haitian History Archives: The Haitian History Archives, a set of pages from the World History Archives at Harford University.
Kiskeya Alternative: Yacine Khelladi is working on alternative tourism in Haiti. Read about it here.
Louverture Project: The Louverture Project is hosting a wiki on haiti.
More Ht Links: Assorted links to interesting Haitian sites.

`M.S. Bells new Toussaint biography is available.

Atis Rezistans

There has been a lot of political posturing the past few years, since the departure of Prezidan Aristide on Feb 29, 2004. Perhaps you may be interested in my Letter to Maxine Waters which I wrote over a few months just before that event.

In Exile, perhaps in Ozetazini, oubien Canada, Bahamas? Missing le Belle Kreyol? You can listen to haytian radio from Miami or the home front at Radio RCH, Radio Kiskeya, CaraibesFM sou internet.

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