Today we have a peaceful, quiet day off school to celebrate Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who was anything but peaceful and quiet. He was brutally treated as a slave, and he in turn was brutal to his enemies. He had the nickname "The Tiger" because of his ferocity in battle and
"Fearing a French resurgence and the reinstatement of slavery that would accompany it, he ordered the massacre of approximately 5,000 of the island’s white men, women, and children declaring 'I have saved my country. I have avenged America.'"The effects of slavery on this world are horrifying and long-lasting. In honor of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, let's keep fighting slavery of all kinds wherever we find it.
Photo Source: article on Jean-Jacques Dessalines from Wikipedia.
1 comment:
Ruth, thank you for this post. It is interesting to read some of Haiti's history here. I just read "Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans" by Kadir Nelson. A beautifully illustrated history book that should be in every classroom in the U.S. We need to read history from the perspective of all affected by it.
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