When you think about Haiti what are the images that come to mind? Do they match those that you saw in the media recently? No doubt, those images have synthesized into your impression of Haiti. These startling and troubling images, however, do not tell the complete story of this complex Caribbean island, home to ten million people. Haiti is a country that has a rich history. Haiti grew from tremulous beginnings, racked by civil war and political unrest since 1791. The country received its Arawak name Haiti, meaning Mountainous Country, from Jean-Jacques Dessalines. Under his leadership in 1838, Haiti broke its ties to France and became the world’s first independent, black republic. This independence, however, came at a heavy cost to Haiti.  In exchange for their freedom, they had to pay a financial indemnity of 150 million francs. Moreover Haiti was shunned by many nations including the United States for over 40 years. Other countries feared that the Haitian example of independence would cause unrest in other slaveholding countries.  The United States finally granted Haiti diplomatic recognition in 1862. In 1957, Haiti made several attempts to move forward and implement democratic elections. When these attempts failed they held a military controlled election, selecting Dr. François Duvalier, nicked named “Papa Doc” as the winner. Duvalier was widely regarded as a corrupt president and declared himself as ‘president for life’. He formed the infamous … [Read more...]