The Revolution of 1946" by Matthew J. Smith, Ph.D.
"Red and Black in Haiti, Radicalism, Conflict, and Political change, 1934-1957" is the most important book about 20th century Haitian politics you will ever read.
This book will show you what can happen when all Haitians regardless of class or complexion join in demand for radical politics under the banner of L'Union Fait La Force. We Haitians did it in 1946, we can do it again.
Smith is Senior Lecturer in the Department of History and Archaeology at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica. He is the author of Red and Black in Haiti: Radicalism, Conflict, and Political Change, 1934-1957 (2009).
In many ways Haiti entered its modern political era with the Revolution of 1946. Color and class conflicts in the country deepened under the leadership of élie Lescot, who succeeded President Sténio Vincent in 1941. Lescot ruled with a firm hand and like Vincent relied heavily on the Garde d’Haïti (the former gendarmerie) to retain his rule. Still, he was unable to contain the radical impulses unleashed by the victory of the Allied forces in 1945. Young Marxists in Haiti drew much inspiration from the Russian Revolution, the Spanish Civil War, French Marxists, André Breton and the Surrealist movement and the previous generation of Haitian communists, particularly the celebrated Marxist poet Jacques Roumain, whose renown and legend grew after his sudden death in 1944.
Defiantly revolutionary in their outlook, these Marxist students, which included the gifted writers Jacques Stephen Alexis, René Depestre, and Gérald Bloncourt, were not only agitated by elite abuse of political power, but also the interference of the United States in Haitian politics and economy during WWII. In the 1946 New Year’s edition of their organ La Ruche, they called for a dramatic reorientation of Haitian politics and an end to dictatorship in Haiti. Lescot’s forced closure of the press prompted a mass student protest led by members of the La Ruche collective. Within days the student protest swelled to a large countrywide strike. A helpless Lescot was forced to resign.
In the aftermath of the "1946 Revolution" Haiti experienced a period of intense radical activity. For the first time in the country’s history, there was a flurry of radical newspapers and dozens of political parties formed, including several prominent leftwing parties. Among them was a revived Parti Communiste Haïtien (PCH) and the Parti Socialiste Populaire (PSP). The PSP was led by former allies of Roumain and had stronger connections with Marxist groups in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.
But it was the noiriste groups that held the greatest influence in 1946. Noiriste radicalism owed a great deal to the expansion of black consciousness in the forties and the late development of a labor movement in 1946. The leading figure in the labor movement and of the pre-Duvalier era was unquestionably Daniel Fignolé. A young mathematics teacher and writer from a poor rural background, Fignolé was an extraordinarily gifted orator with phenomenal appeal among the urban majority in Port-au-Prince. Fignolé’s emergence on the political scene in 1946 was attributed to his unique ability to tap into the concerns of the majority of Haitians in dramatic speeches delivered in Kreyòl.
Noiriste writers regarded Fignolé as the epitome of their hopes and his enormous following saw him as a savior from the political dominance of the bourgeoisie. Fignolé’s party, Mouvement Ouvrier et Paysan (MOP) was formed in 1946 and became the largest labor organization in Haitian history. In spite of Fignolé’s magnetism, and the radical agenda of the Marxists, the United States and the Garde d’Haïti, remained the most important powerbrokers in 1946. Under the direction of the Garde elections were held on August 16 and resulted in the victory of Dumarsais Estimé, a deputy from Verettes with noiriste sympathies. Estimé’s four-year administration proved to be one of the more progressive of the twentieth century.
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Spain reiterates its participation in a multinational mission to support Haiti Madrid.- Spain is set to be one of the Western participants in the multinational mission aimed at assisting the Haitian police, a request made by the Haitian government to the United Nations. Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, has expressed the country’s support for Haiti and stated that Spain is one of the largest donors to Haiti. The specifics of Spain’s contributions to the mission will be determined after a Security Council meeting. Minister Albares emphasized that the mission’s duration is likely to be several years, given the goal of providing security and combating gangs in Haiti. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry had made a passionate appeal for international collaboration to address security issues in Haiti during his speech at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He called for the urgent deployment of a multinational support mission composed of military and security personnel as a necessary step to address the country’s security challenges, while acknowledging the role of extreme poverty as a root cause of many issues faced by the Haitian population. Spain’s commitment to participate in this multinational mission reflects the international community’s efforts to support Haiti in overcoming its complex challenges and promoting stability in the country. National Center of Haitian Apostolate via auth.ccsend.com |
REFLECTIONS 26th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. October 1, 2023
Ezekiel 18, 25-28; Psalm 25; Philippians 2, 1-11; Matthew 21, 28-32;
With humility but with joy we come together today to share the word of God, to celebrate our faith, to feed our hope, and to commit ourselves to live with one another as God’s children. Let being together this Sunday, be a praise to our God, a thanksgiving for the life and blessings received from Him, and a constant call to conversion.
In today’s parable, Jesus highlights the superiority of Deeds over Words. A father sends his two sons to work in his grapevine. The first one answers “No,” yet, on second thoughts goes to do the job. On the contrary, the second one says “Yes” but goes nowhere. The first son will be praised, not the one who only paid lip service. Do we get the point?
Prophet Ezekiel in the first reading makes the same point: the necessity for the sinner to repent and change his conduct. He will be forgiven completely while the virtuous man who turns away from virtue to commit iniquity will surely die. Turn away from evil paths. Open your eyes, ask for forgiveness, and let God forgive you. We must demonstrate by our deeds the faith we profess with our lips.
The second reading points to Jesus as an example to follow. He did not seek his own selfish interest. Rather he lowered himself and suffered death to save the many. His heroic sacrifice for the sake of others shows that He is a Doer, not a Talker. Paul invites communities to live the same love, the same spirit, the same feeling. Not because it is beautiful but because it is the will of God, because this is why Jesus Christ came, and because every tongue is called to proclaim that Jesus is the only Lord.
This is how we must understand the parable of the day. The first son, despite his initial refusal, receives a tribute of gratitude while the second son is rejected.
Jesus warns the Priests that it is not enough to talk about God and feel like owners of the vineyard. We must work in the Lord's vineyard and we must take care of it. Jesus died on the Cross to prove by his example the sincerity of his message. The Christian also must not only pretend that he believes. His conduct, his actions, and his good works must testify to his sincerity.
To enter the Kingdom of God you must obey God, do his will, and live as an active member of the church. Sometimes despicable sinners break away from their sinful ways and throw themselves in the merciful arms of God. They are then clothed with the robe of grace. Others, on the contrary, possess good knowledge of God and proudly boast of their social status, yet remain blind to the key teachings of the Gospel such as love, mercy, and humility. There will be no room for them in the Kingdom! Deeds speak louder than words! A sincere Christian is like a fruit-bearing tree! A fruitless tree is cut down and thrown into the fire.