The Horrific Crisis in Haiti: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

A Haitian Flag Day Special

By Dr. Ron Daniels

May 18th was Haitian Flag Day, an occasion for the proud people of Haiti to reflect on and celebrate one of the greatest feats in human history, the crushing and humiliating defeat of the vaunted French Army of Napoleon Bonaparte to establish the first Black Republic in this hemisphere. It was the first time in history that an enslaved people overthrew their “slave masters” to create an independent nation. The Haitian Revolution has further significance because of the heroic defeat of France to achieve their independence shattered the myth of white superiority at the height of the invention and spread of theories of racial hierarchies which ranked people of European descent/ White people at the top and people of African descent/Black people at the bottom. The triumph of the Haitian Revolution was a definitive rejection of this racist proposition. 

Despite the triumph of the Revolution or more accurately because of its success, it was critically important that competing European powers and the emerging United States isolate, marginalize and destabilize Haiti for fear that the example of a Black Republic would inspire enslaved and colonized people everywhere to rise up in revolt. Hence, because of a history of invasions, occupation, interference and domination, the Haitian people have never been able to fully fulfil the promise of the Revolution. They have experienced internal and external crisis after crisis for more than 200 years right up to the present.  

But a proud and resilient people have never given up. So, Haitian Flag Day is a time to celebrate the revolution and reflect on the challenges and opportunities in the present that can lead to a genuinely free and prosperous nation. On this May 18th the resilience of the Haitian people is being tested by this most horrific crisis in recent history; the virtual takeover of the nation by ruthless gangs who have amassed weapons and recruited foot soldiers (some by force) to create criminal enterprises similar to the feared narco-cartels that exist in parts of Central and South America. For a brief period, the world witnessed images of the brutality, pillage and rape of competing warlords and gangs as they captured and established control over 80% of the Capital of Port Au Prince.

However, despite the tragic news reports, there were some signs of hope as a broad-based powerful alliance of Haitian organizations on the ground under the banner of the Montana Accord Movement presented a blueprint for a genuine people-based democracy; a blueprint designed to avoid the pitfalls of previous, manipulative, hastily devised U.S. and foreign dominated plans that pushed for quick elections which produced leaders favorable to outside interests. Congressman Gregory Meeks, Chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee at that time, leading members of the Congressional Black Caucus and organizations like the Haitian American Foundation for Democracy and the Haiti Support Project viewed the Montana Accord’s blueprint as a Haitian devised plan which had great potential. 

Congressman Meeks was also in constant communications with the leaders of CARICOM to affect a collaborative effort to resolve the crisis. On the U.S.  side the Haitian American Foundation for Democracy and Haiti Support Project worked with the National Urban League, NAACP and National Action Network to conduct meetings with the State Department and National Security Council to insist that the policies of the Biden administration be aligned with the Montana Accord blueprint. Though Republicans in the House and Senate continued to throw roadblocks in the way and the meetings with the State Department and National Security Council were occasionally contentious,  in general, there was a collective sense that incremental but significant progress was being made to overcome the crisis and launch a Haitian designed process for achieving a sustainable, people based democracy.

All of that changed in 2024 when Donald J. Trump, who had disparagingly labeled Haiti and other African nations “shithole” countries, was re-elected President of the United States. You may recall that during the presidential campaign, candidate Trump falsely alleged that Haitians in Springfield, Ohio were stealing and eating the pets of their neighbors. Once elected, Trump continued to dismiss the plight of Haitians by railing against Temporary Protective Status (TPS), which allows persons fleeing persecution of dangerous conditions in their countries to legally enter and remain in the U.S. until conditions in their home country improve. And, the progress that was being made to resolve the crisis under the Biden administration has largely been derailed by Trump. Moreover, despite that fact that conditions are grim on the ground in Haiti, there are virtually no news reports cataloging the desperate plight of the Haitian people under de facto gang cartel rule. Tragically, Haiti is out of sight and out of mind.