"OUR UN-KNOWN HISTORY as AFRICAN PEOPLE."

"ONLY FEW KNOW DE PAIN IN ME."
Leyton FRANKLIN B F A Hon's.

There is pain "in me heart an wata in me eyes" for the destruction of an African Nation (HAITI) by nature/man and that pain is felt by some of my friends. On the other hand it is more troubling to me an African Caribbean male listening to most Caribbean people not only talk about the catastrophic images projected by the media but their stabbing remarks on Haiti.

Most end the discussion ("on sorrow in dem talk") by stating (bad-mouthin') "HAITI is a COUNTRY full of OBEAH (witchcraft/voodoo/black-magic). Same remarks are expressed by religious leaders in their church to African people who accept and become haters' of their own (negrophobic). It should not be surprising ("some of we") that in 2010 Pat ROBERTSON and others like him continues to preach hate against the people of Haiti ('look-up' "New Black Man" on the web).

"OBEAH" unknown to most of my African people was and still is a part of our culture and it is one of the roots of Christianity. Obeah played an important part of Africans' daily life especially with religion before the Europeans captured, shipped and enslaved us to North American, South American and the Caribbean. But in the world we live in there is no race of people that do not in some way accept and believe in a mystical ritual that is against the religious norms.

But why
1- IS HAITI SUFFERING?
2- THE POOREST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD?
3- IS REMAINS AN 'UNDER-DEVELOPED' COUNTRY IN 2010?

Haiti is still paying for an act of their past heroes (Toussaint L'Ouverture and his followers in the 18th century defeated the ruling system and gained independence after occupation by foreigners. The past heroes of Haiti were the first (African) people of physical slavery to gain freedom but remain not free.

I end with this artistic expression of a Caribbean man;

Artist: Mutabaruka Lyrics
Album: Melanin Man Lyrics
Title: Haiti Lyrics

haiti yuh goin an'no one seem to
care
haiti yuh goin neighbours beware
de poverty an' death that haunts
everyday
de boat dat leave to de u.s.a.
yuh payin for de afrikaness yuh
still keep
yuh payin payin boukman is not a
sleep
u gave us haiti de strength to fite
black people in de Caribbean i say
unite
brake de chains dat keep us apart
haiti suffers because it made a
start
haiti haiti yuh'ave de will
haiti haiti afrika calls u still

too black too strong you'll 'ave to
pay
blacker than nite never see n de
day
but too black is always de reason
for your pain
but your fire for freedom will not
be in vain

haiti haiti yuh goin an' no ore
seem to care
haiti now but neighbours beware
de blood sweat an' tears del is
shedtoday
will be a guide for afdka an'
afrikans along de way

cuba beware
jamaika beware
trinidad beware
grenada beware
Caribbean beware beware beware
care no fear care no fear
Caribbean beware beware beware
break de chains del keep us apart
haiti suffers because it made a
start
but too black is no reason for pain
de blood for freedom will always
stain

haiti haiti yuh'ave de will
haiti haiti afrika calls u still
Caribbean leaders wet are u goin
to do
today its haiti tomorrow is u
today its haiti tomorrow its u
Haiti ou prale et peson pa mele
se haiti cougna an, mais
voisins rete sou pinga nou sang,
sie (sueur), ak lam nape, krie
jodian ap toujou guide I'afrique
ak afrikains

cuba rete sou pinga ou
jamaique rete sou pinga ou
trinidad rete sou pinga ou
grenade rete sou pinga ou
caraibes rete sou pinga n(ou)
carafbes rete sou pinga n(ou)

casse chaines kape separe nou
haiti ou ape soufh pou tet ou sd
prd mie

mais tro nod pa raison pou nou
soufd
mak sang libete ap toujou rete
haiti haiti ou gain volonte
haiti haiti l'afrique ape rele ou
toujou

lide caraibes, sa nap fe?
jodi a se haiti, demain se nou
mem
jodi a se haiti, demain se nou
mem
demain se nou mem
demain se nou mem
demain se nou mem...

myrtha desulme