Overview:
Fort-Liberté celebrates November 29 with community-driven actions to present town the official recognition of Haiti’s independence.
FORT-LIBERTÉ—Within the coronary heart of Haiti’s northeast, town of Fort-Liberté has lengthy been a guardian of the nation’s revolutionary previous. On November 28 and 29, this coastal city got here alive with vibrant festivities to commemorate the drafting and the primary proclamation of Haiti’s Act of Independence in 1803. Although the nation formally celebrates its independence on January 1, Fort-Liberté has carved out its place in historical past as the positioning the place freedom was first declared.
This 12 months, town’s mayor, Etienne Louis-Jacques, and members of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT), led by President Lesly Voltaire, highlighted Fort-Liberté’s pivotal function in Haiti’s independence motion. In opposition to a backdrop of cultural delight and unity, hundreds gathered to rejoice, replicate, and honor the sacrifices that birthed the world’s first Black republic.
A Historic Declaration, a New Nationwide Day
Fort-Liberté’s historic significance usually goes unrecognized in comparison with extra well-known websites like Gonaïves. But it was right here, at Fort Saint-Joseph, that Jean-Jacques Dessalines and different revolutionary leaders introduced Haiti’s independence to the world on November 29, 1803, simply days after their resounding victory on the Battle of Vertières.
This 12 months, Lesly Voltaire marked the event by issuing a landmark decree designating November 29 as a nationwide day of reflection and analysis on the historic occasions surrounding Haiti’s independence. “At the present time will function a chance to deepen understanding of Haiti’s revolutionary previous and the sacrifices of its ancestors,” Voltaire mentioned, addressing an viewers gathered in Saint-Joseph Sq..
“The Folks’s pencil has no eraser. Even when they want to erase all of the dates and symbols, they will be unable to take action as a result of the Folks’s pencil has no eraser,”
Lesly Voltaire, president of the CPT, in Saint Joseph Sq. in Fort-Libert.é.
The decree underscores the significance of preserving and commemorating Haiti’s revolutionary heritage, notably in locations like Fort-Liberté, that are central to the nation’s narrative however usually neglected.
For almost 25 years, Fort-Liberté has celebrated November 28 and 29 with a mixture of solemn reflection and joyful festivity, due to efforts by the Affiliation for the Improvement of Folibété and its Setting (ADFE). This 12 months’s occasions featured a packed itinerary, from the solemnity of a Te Deum at Saint-Joseph Cathedral to parades, conventional dances, and cultural showcases.
Mayor Louis-Jacques emphasised town’s dedication to preserving this custom: “As a neighborhood, we’re dedicated to making sure that the legacy of our ancestors continues to stay on via this celebration. It’s a reminder that the independence we cherish was hard-won.”
Residents labored tirelessly to organize for the festivities, cleansing streets, adorning town, and restoring Fort Saint-Joseph to its former glory. The end result was a vibrant show of unity and delight, with individuals of all generations contributing to the celebration.
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Bishop Quesnel Alphonse stands on the altar of Saint-Joseph Cathedral in Fort-Liberté, making ready for his ecumenical service with the pastoral physique on November 29, 2024. Photograph by Edxon Francisque for The Haitian Occasions. -
Bishop Quesnel Alphonse delivers his homily from the altar of Saint-Joseph Cathedral in Fort-Liberté on November 29, 2024. Photograph by Edxon Francisque for The Haitian Occasions. -
Appearing president of the Presidential Transitional Council, (CPT), Architect Lesly Voltaire, far left with Minister of Training Antoine Augustin and members of Haïti armed forces, FADH at Saint-Josepg Cathedral Te Deum in Fort-Liberté on November 29, 2024. Photograph by Edxon Francisque for the Haïtian Occasions
Unity within the Face of Fashionable Challenges
Whereas the festivities honored the previous, in addition they supplied a much-needed reprieve from Haiti’s present struggles. With gang violence, financial instability, and political uncertainty affecting a lot of the nation, Fort-Liberté’s celebration served as a sanctuary of peace and solidarity.
“Fort-Liberté has all the time been a sanctuary of peace,” mentioned Pautinsky Fortuné, a neighborhood chief who helped arrange the occasions. “By celebrating right here, we present the remainder of Haiti that unity continues to be doable.”
Safety was a key precedence, with heightened police patrols guaranteeing the protection of individuals. Residents expressed immense delight of their metropolis’s potential to host such an occasion regardless of the challenges going through the nation.
Bridging the Previous and Current
The celebrations culminated in a cultural showcase that bridged the previous and current. Native artists carried out revolutionary-inspired items, and schoolchildren paraded via the streets, proudly carrying the Haitian flag. Bishop Quesnel Alphonse of Saint-Joseph Cathedral highlighted the significance of decentralization in his homily, urging as we speak’s youth to hold ahead the founders’ imaginative and prescient of justice and equality.
“This date reminds us of the large contribution to the battle for the liberation of the nation from colonial, slave, and racist oppression,” Voltaire mentioned throughout his tackle. “The individuals’s pencil has no eraser.”
The occasion additionally served as a name to motion for Haitians to attract inspiration from their revolutionary ancestors to handle up to date challenges. Historical past professors in attendance emphasised that the beliefs of freedom and unity that based the republic should proceed to information the nation
A Legacy Value Preserving
Because the solar set on Fort-Liberté, the echoes of drums and the sight of the Haitian flag waving proudly reminded attendees of the sacrifices that formed their nation. Town’s annual commemoration serves not solely as a celebration of Haiti’s independence but additionally as a reminder of the enduring spirit of its individuals.
For residents like Judson Michel, a instructor, the occasion is a supply of immense delight. “In 1987, my historical past instructor taught us concerning the important function Fort-Liberté performed in historical past. Our metropolis is wealthy in each historic and vacationer sights,” Michel mentioned. “As a citizen, you can’t assist however really feel happy with this metropolis, town of freedom.”
Fort-Liberté’s function in Haiti’s independence might not but be well known, however its annual celebration is a testomony to town’s enduring legacy because the birthplace of freedom. As Bishop Alphonse eloquently put it: “The historical past written right here reminds us that freedom was not given however earned. It’s as much as us to honor that legacy each day.”