Haitian Heritage Month

May is Haitian Heritage Month! Peruse our resource guide to learn about and celebrate the rich culture, history, and people from Haiti.

Spotlight: Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Domingue

This monument located in Savannah, Georgia, commemorates the Haitians who volunteered to fight for America's independence in the American Revolutionary War. Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Domingue (Volunteer Hunters of Saint Domingue) was the largest unit of Black gunmen that fought in Savannah, successfully defeating British forces in 1779. 

Literature

Literary works by authors of Haitian descent are integral to understanding the experiences lived during times of turmoil as well as the resulting effects felt by future generations. 

Art

Haiti continues to play an impactful role in curating world culture through art, music, writing, food, and fashion.

Culinary Arts

Food is how many cultures pass down traditions and stories. Haiti is no different. Haitian food is a melting pot of culinary sources all telling a story of family, warmth, and triumph.

Sports and Athletics

Music

By mixing traditional Haitian songs and instruments into contemporary sounds, musicians share their appreciation and admiration for the culture globally.

A Day for the Hunter, A Day for the Prey [CD sound recording]

Born in New York to Haitian immigrants, classical musician, Leyla McCalla explores the music of the United States and Haiti on cello, banjo, and guitar.

TV & Film

Haitian descendants contribute to the world of film and television both onscreen and behind the scenes, from globally recognized actors to award-winning filmmakers.

Military and Political Leaders

Politically, Haiti ranks among the least stable countries in the world. Militarily, due to it's revolutionary beginning, Haiti can tout courageous, noteworthy leaders within it's history.

Black Spartacus

The Haitian revolution began in the French colony of Saint-Domingue with a slave revolt in November 1791, and culminated a dozen years later in the proclamation of the world's first independent black republic. After the abolition of slavery in 1793, Toussaint L'ouverture became the leader of the colony's black population, commander of its republican army and eventually its governor. Treacherously captured by Napoleon's invading army a year later and imprisoned, he ended his days as the revolution's most eminent martyr. Louverture confronted the mighty forces of his age - slavery, settler colonialism, imperial domination, racial hierarchy and European cultural supremacy - and bent them to his will.