Transcription
All right, peace of Black Power family! Thank you for joining me again. I am your brother Hassan. Today, we will be talking about five things you did not know about Haitian culture and Haitian history.
Number one: Did you know that Abraham Lincoln's closest confidant and best friend was a Haitian man? William D. Fleurville, also known as Florville, was a Haitian-born businessman who met Abraham Lincoln in Selma in 1831. After Abraham Lincoln helped him attract clients to his community, Fleurville moved to Springfield, where he eventually opened up a barbershop across the street from the State House and served as Abraham Lincoln's barber for 24 years.
Number two: Did you know that Haiti has the biggest fortress in the Western Hemisphere? Jean Jacques Dessalines was the first person to map out the plans for the Citadel, but they were later picked up and manifested by Henri Christophe. The Citadel took 12 years to build, and it sits 5,000 feet above sea level.
Number three: Did you know there's actually a specific clause in the Haitian Constitution dedicated to African Americans? The first Haitian Constitution, written in 1805, granted land and citizenship to any African that made it to the island, specifically Americans. This was later reinforced by Jean-Pierre Boyer. To read more about this, you can actually purchase the book "African Americans and the Haitian Revolution."
Number four: Did you know the most popular song in Haitian culture is actually not made by a Haitian band? I'm sorry I have to break it to y'all like this, but the group Kassav' is actually from Guadeloupe.
Number five: Did you know that most of Haiti's historical political refugees are buried in Jamaica? That's right, yardy man! Take care of our ancestors because they're buried in Jamaica, being the fact that Jamaica is Haiti's cousin to the west. During rebellions, a lot of political figures actually sought exile in Jamaica, so many of them were buried there.
Hi family! Thank you for joining me on another episode of five things you did not know about Haitian culture and Haitian history. I appreciate you!