African-American History

Why should you, people of African descent in the United States, embark on a Pilgrimage to what has been described as the "poorest nation in the western hemisphere?" First, you should heed Malcolm's call to young people to reclaim your identity as sons and daughters of Africa where ever you are in the world and to see yourselves as Pan-Africanists and internationalists who embrace and support the struggle for freedom, self-determination, and development of people of African descent and the oppressed everywhere. In that same spirit, Dr. Martin Luther King proclaimed that an injustice to anyone anywhere was a threat to justice everywhere. To be Black and African is to internalize and embody the principles of the Nguzo Saba, the Seven Principles of the Black Value System that are the foundation of the Kwanza celebration – including the idea that you must see the problems of your brothers and sisters everywhere, the problems of your people in Africa, the Caribbean, and other parts of the Diaspora, as your problems. And so it must be with Haiti, the first Black Republic in the western hemisphere, and in the world. In uplifting Haiti, we uplift our collective being as African people!

To reiterate, the Haitian Revolution was one of the greatest feats in human history. At the height of the holocaust of enslavement, the unfolding of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and the concoction of white supremacy as a diabolical ideology, freedom-loving enslaved Africans rebelled and over a period from 1791-1804 defeated the military forces of Spain, Great Britain and the awesome army of France (Napoleon Bonaparte) to found a Black Republic. Haiti became a beacon of hope, promise and possibility for enslaved Africans everywhere. It was a bloody and decisive in-your-face refutation of the myth of white supremacy! The perpetrators of racism/white supremacy/slavery/ colonialism/neo-colonialism, the oppressors have no intention of breaking the chains that they have wrapped around our minds and bodies. Boukman, Toussaint, Dessalines, Christophe, Petion and the Haitian masses did not wait for the slave masters to free them. They took destiny into their own hands and decided to liberate themselves "by any means necessary!"

Having already fought in the battle of Savannah to aid the Continental Army to defeat the British in the American Revolution, these Haitian freedom fighters liberated the rest of the isle of Hispaniola and provided moral, political, and military assistance to Simon Bolivar in his successful quest to liberate parts of South America. The disastrous defeat dealt to the proud legions of Napoleon was also the principal reason why the Emperor cut his losses and decided to sell the Louisiana Territory to Thomas Jefferson for a mere pittance, thereby doubling the size of the United States.

But Haiti paid a dear price for defying France, other European powers, and the United States. Under threat of yet another invasion by France, the Black Republic was compelled to pay some 150 million gold Francs to its former colonial master for the loss of property and profit - slaves and plantations. Fearful that the example of a successful slave revolution would spread, the United States and the nations of Europe stigmatized, marginalized, and systematically isolated Haiti throughout most of the 19th century. Moreover, in 1915, the U.S. sent Marines to Haiti to put down a revolt that it claimed threatened "American interests." The insurrection was crushed, and the U.S. proceeded to occupy Haiti until 1934. Subsequently, various U.S. administrations supported the dictatorship of Jean Claude "Popa Doc" Duvalier, one of the most ruthless regimes of the 20th century. Haiti became a virtual neo-colony of the U.S., a source of cheap labor and a market to dump surplus commodities like rice and pork to the detriment of local agricultural producers. The first Black Republic has never really recovered from this concerted effort to reduce it to being the "poorest nation in the western hemisphere."

Given this history and these realities, you may embark on a Pilgrimage, not just another vacation experience. It is your duty, your sacred responsibility, to share in this commemoration/celebration, not as a nostalgic journey into the past but as a means of continuing and intensifying the struggle for the liberation of African people in the 21st century. Cruising Into History must be seen in large measure as a crusade to uplift Haiti, a catalyst to focus attention on the beautiful, energetic, creative and courageous people of Haiti and to respectfully assist them to finish the unfinished Haitian Revolution in the 21st century. In the first instance, the cruise will be a major boost to tourism by introducing thousands of people to the cultural and historical treasures of Haiti as well as its natural beauty. Haitian art and handicrafts are among the most prized in the Caribbean. During your Pilgrimage, you will be able to mix and mingle with the people, purchase gifts, partake of the local cuisine and a rich variety of entertainment. There will be a significant injection of capital into the local economy from the cruise. Equally important, over the long haul, the positive experience will result in repeat visits to Haiti – just what the country needs to boost its economy in the coming years.

Beyond the obvious benefits of the cruise, however, there will be a concerted effort to identify Black organizations, associations, and churches in the U.S. that are willing to support schools, health-care clinics, and civic engagement projects in Haiti. Haki Madhubuti has pledged that the Betty Shabazz School in Chicago will adopt a school in Haiti, provide school supplies and develop a student exchange program with Haitian students. Danny Glover, Ambassador-at-Large for this Initiative, has suggested the idea of organizing youth and students to form "Toussaint L'Ouverture Brigades" to work on projects in Haiti.

There is no reason why Black student organizations on college/university campuses and Black Greek letter organizations cannot become more engaged in assisting and learning from a Black/African nation of such historical significance located right here in this hemisphere. It is for that reason that we are hopeful that college/university students will mobilize resources to participate in the Future Leaders Program that will be a part of Cruising Into History. Organized by the Youth and Student Commission of the newly emerging Institute of the Black World 21st Century, the program will offer an opportunity for you to have inter-generational dialogues with such notable leaders and personages as Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, Susan Taylor, Marc Morial, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Rose Sanders, Haki Madhubuti, Sonia Sanchez and L. Londell McMillan. There will also be an Inter-Generational Poetry Slam as a part of the International Black Arts and Cultural Festival that will occur on board the ship during the Pilgrimage. In addition, the faculty of the Africana-Studies Department at Kean College, under the leadership of Dr. Barbara Wheeler, has designed a curriculum that will enable students who go on the Pilgrimage to receive college/university credit.

What a Pilgrimage! As students and young people, you have never had an opportunity to participate in an once-in-a-lifetime experience like this – a rare opportunity to reaffirm our culture, history and identity while simultaneously joining the essential crusade to uplift Haiti and assist our Haitian brothers and sisters to fulfill the unfulfilled Haitian Revolution in the 21st century.

Welcome aboard!

For further information about Cruising Into History, visit the website www.cruisingintohistory.org or call 1-877-424-8404.