I just did a quick flip through "our" "news" "networks" - Keith Olberman (granted, a rebroadcast of his earlier program) was discussing the Jay Leno/Conan O'Brien fallout, Fox was foaming (in a Greta van Susteren rebroadcast) over a potential Tea Party Victory in Tuesday's Special Election in Massachusets to fill Ted Kennedy's seat, CNN (also rebroadcasting some earlier Anderson Cooper) is talking about news, at least in the sense of 'something new'
"Haiti is 95% black - Haiti religion: 80% Roman Catholic - Haiti Official Language: French"
* * *
September 2018
This is a post where I was clearly reacting to CNN's coverage of the Haitian Earthquake. I do not know, from the above, what I was working toward. Except, of course, that CNN (and thereby America) just do not understand Haiti.
The quote at the bottom is something I must have heard (or seen on the feed on the bottom of the screen) CNN say.
Haiti is not 95% Black - it is 100% black. This doesn't mean that everyone who lives in Haiti, or even is Haitian has black skin or African roots. Most do, for sure. What made Haiti fascinating at its origins was that it declared all of its original citizens "neg" - black. Everyone was included at the outset. Of course, the 'swamp' asserted itself, like it always does. Those with some power grabbed more and more and more, and it became one of the most disparate nations in all the world (but the US is catching up!).
These days folks say that Haiti is 50% Catholic and 50% Protestant and also, of course, 100% Vodou. Haiti is a hyper-religious country. This is its strength and its downfall. Too often, hours of Christian prayer are displayed as the logic for why things should turn out better for poor Haiti. What's more important, i think, is the difference between Vodou and Christian divine intervention. White Christians assume that God is planning to save them. Vodou practitioners cajole lwa to do their bidding. They work with them, and ask them for favors.
Haitians don't speak French... just like Americans don't speak French. A lot do, but the Haitian language is Haitian. Kreyol is a derogative, but it's hard to convince us that we are who we are.
* * *
September 2018
This is a post where I was clearly reacting to CNN's coverage of the Haitian Earthquake. I do not know, from the above, what I was working toward. Except, of course, that CNN (and thereby America) just do not understand Haiti.
The quote at the bottom is something I must have heard (or seen on the feed on the bottom of the screen) CNN say.
Haiti is not 95% Black - it is 100% black. This doesn't mean that everyone who lives in Haiti, or even is Haitian has black skin or African roots. Most do, for sure. What made Haiti fascinating at its origins was that it declared all of its original citizens "neg" - black. Everyone was included at the outset. Of course, the 'swamp' asserted itself, like it always does. Those with some power grabbed more and more and more, and it became one of the most disparate nations in all the world (but the US is catching up!).
These days folks say that Haiti is 50% Catholic and 50% Protestant and also, of course, 100% Vodou. Haiti is a hyper-religious country. This is its strength and its downfall. Too often, hours of Christian prayer are displayed as the logic for why things should turn out better for poor Haiti. What's more important, i think, is the difference between Vodou and Christian divine intervention. White Christians assume that God is planning to save them. Vodou practitioners cajole lwa to do their bidding. They work with them, and ask them for favors.
Haitians don't speak French... just like Americans don't speak French. A lot do, but the Haitian language is Haitian. Kreyol is a derogative, but it's hard to convince us that we are who we are.
No comments:
Post a Comment