The
Two Hundred and One Anniversary Of The Haitian Flag. By
Rene Devis, Heritagekonpa Magazine The
Haitian flag is one of the oldest flag in the world. Haiti's flag was conceived
during the period of the Haitian Revolution from 1794 to 1803. Jean
Jacques Dessalines, one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution and the Haitian
Indigene Army, first raised the flag on May 18, 1803. From that point on, the
18th day of May in each year is observed as Haitian Flag Day. In
boston, Boston, Florida , and New York Haitians have scheduled several cultural
events and street parades to commemorate the celebration of Flag Day.
The New York Haitian's Flag Day Celebration was established in 1996 by the "18
Mai Committee" (a non-profit organization) to help increase cultural awareness
among Haitians and to honor Haiti's flag. The
9th annual Haitian Flag Day celebration titles "Unity Parade" took place
on Sunday May 16, 2004 in Brooklyn, New York. The parade which was meant to commemorate
the 201 anniversary of the Haitian flag was less than spectacular. The crowd in
attendance was estimated at 130 to 150 people. The
"Unity Parade" started at Utica Avenue and Eastern Parkway and ended
at East New York. The event officially began at 12:30 and ended at approximately
3PM Flag
Day addresses were delivered by Marty Markowitz Brooklyn's Borough President and
members of and the "18 Mai Committee. The Flag Day celebration featured a
marching band, and three floats decorated with large Haitian Flags. Despite
the low turn out for this year's parade, the number of Haitians in attendance
celebrated their flag day with a sense pride and joy. Some were dancing and humming
to the Haitian national anthem, while others verbally expressed their discontent
with Haitians who chose not to participate in the parade. There are numerous reasons
attributed to lack of solid community support for the "18 Mai" celebration
in New York, including the lack of marketing for event, a sense of disconnection
from the mother land, and perhaps the continued political instability in Haiti. Many
Haitians do not feel that they have good reasons to celebrate Flag Day. Two hundred
and one years after the most successful Black Revolution in the western Hemisphere,
the Haitian flag struggles to fly free under the blue sky. The country is now
under foreign occupation, as Haitians have proved time after time that they cannot
govern themselves effectively. In
Miami the Haitian Flag Day Celebration is scheduled for Tuesday may 18, 2004.
Ten of thousands of Haitian Americans are expected to attend the Flag Day waving
the Haitian flag. The festivities will include special school ceremonies, family
picnics, and private parties. More
than twenty thousands Haitian Americans attended the 6th annual "Haitian
Compas Music Festival" at Bay front Park in downtown Miami, Florida. This
event, which often coincides with Haitian Flag Day, attracted some of the biggest
names in Konpa Music (the name of the most popular form music in Haiti).
In
Haiti there is no official Parade or celebration projected to commemorate the
201 anniversary of Haitian Flag. As of May 16, 2004, the Interim Haitian government
has not made any formal public announcement on the subject. | 
