Haiti – 219th Flag Day : Message of reflection from Lesly Condé

Haiti – 219th Flag Day : Message of reflection from Lesly Condé18/05/2022 10:38:18 As part of the celebration of the 219th anniversary of the creation of our national bicolor, Lesly Condé Ex-Consul General of Haiti in Chicago (August 2004 – May 2018), gives us a message of reflection that we invite you to read and share.

“Dear compatriots and friends everywhere,

I am delighted to commemorate with you the 219th anniversary of the Haitian flag. It’s a privilege that I greatly appreciate, and that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. There are so many things to say about our two-tone. He does not represent only the freedom of a nation or a race. It is a symbol of universal freedom which should be the standard of all those who are interested in the cause of freedom and justice in the world. 219 years old this year, this two-tone remains as eloquent a symbol of bravery and determination as on May 18, 1803 when the world order was undoubtedly slavery. The world still needs justice and freedom. I greet you all very warmly, and thank you for accepting to welcome me into your homes on behalf of our national bicolor.

This year, we need to focus, in a special way, on the importance of the symbolism of our two-tone. In its most difficult moments, a nation always retreats to the most glorious aspects of its past. The story of this flag is so eloquent that we would like to tell it to the whole world. There is so much symbolism in these two colors. Today, we Haitians have a duty to look proudly at this symbol of our identity, this two-tone which also belongs to the heritage of humanity. The story of the creation of the Haitian flag speaks not only of the bravery and determination of our ancestors, but also of their pragmatism. French slaveholders had skillfully exacerbated the conflicts that existed between blacks and mulattoes, slaves and freedmen. This is the kind of division that slavery thrives on. However, Jean-Jacques Dessalines and our other ancestors understood that it was necessary to unite to defeat the common enemy. The birth of our flag on May 18, 1803 in Arcahaie sealed this historic union.

Indeed, on May 18, 1803, what happened in Arcahaie, was going to alter the course of the history of the human race because, all amazed, the world was going, shortly, to witness the birth of the first black state in the Americas. It is appropriate to pay tribute to the bravery and pragmatism of our ancestors who managed to reunite despite their disagreements, and by defying the wrath of the most powerful slavers of the moment.

What makes the creators of our flag and the flag itself more worthy of admiration is the element of defiance. By irreverently tearing the white from the tricolor of tyranny, and uniting blue and red to symbolize a liberating alliance, our ancestors defied the current world order in the name of universal freedom.

If the rest of the world looks at our dear Haiti with an indifference that borders on contempt, if our neighbors and our so-called friends believe that our historical setbacks can be explained by an intrinsic incompetence or quite simply by a cruel irony of fate, so they did not capture the greatness of our ancestors, and their attachment to well-being that always accompanies freedom. The creation of this flag was a vibrant declaration of love for freedom and well-being. If our proud bicolor who put an end to the world order of slavery, also made us a solitary nation, it is because, I repeat, this world really needs freedom.

I thank you for your attention and wish you a happy Flag Day.

Lesly Conde.”

Messages from Lesly Condé in 2022:https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36443-haiti-eastermessage-of-reflection-from-lesly-conde.htmlhttps://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36423-haiti-holy-weekmessage-of-reflection-by-lesly-conde.htmlhttps://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36365-haiti-219th-of-the-death-of-toussaint-louverturemessage-of-reflection-from-lesly-conde.htmlhttps://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36129-haiti-social-international-women-s-day-message-of-reflection-from-lesly-conde.htmlhttps://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35862-haiti-social-black-history-month-message-of-reflection-by-lesly-conde.htmlhttps://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-35702-icihaiti-earthquake-2010-message-of-reflection-from-lesly-conde.htmlhttps://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35620-haiti-218th-anniversary-of-independence-traditional-message-from-lesly-conde.html

All Messages from Lesly Condé in 2021 :https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35584-haiti-social-wishes-from-lesly-conde-on-the-occasion-of-the-new-year.html

HL/ HaitiLibre