Quote of the Day

Barack Obama is changing the way we think about race. His inclusive message is so refreshing that, in addition to strong backing from blacks, he is drawing unprecedented nationwide support from white voters. It is so upsetting that this remarkable and historic feat is belittled as a ‘cult of personality’ -William Julius Wilson, professor of [...]

Arab Haitians become more vocal, visible

Arab Haitians become more vocal, visible Haitians of Arab descent are a small group in South Florida, but they are fast emerging as more vocal, more visible and even more political. BY JACQUELINE CHARLES, Miami Herald jcharles@herald.com He grew up eating traditional dishes such as kibbe and tabbouleh. He listened to the lilt of the [...]

Key Dates in Haiti’s History

1492 Christopher Columbus lands and claims the island of Hispaniola for Spain. The Spanish build the New World’s first settlement at La Navidad on Haiti’s north coast. 1697 Spanish control over the colony ends with the Treaty of Ryswick, which divided the island into French-controlled St. Domingue and Spanish Santo Domingo. For over 100 years [...]

Haitian History: What U.S. textbooks don’t tell

Haitian History: What U.S. textbooks don’t tellBy Greg Dunkel, Haiti Progres, This Week in Haiti, Vol.21 no.27, 17–23 September 2003Publisher’s note: This document combines the two parts of the original publication. The second part appeared in Haiti Progres, Vol.21 no.26, 24 September 2003. Looking at how Haiti’s history is presented in high-school textbooks in the [...]

Book recommendation

On American Intellectual History Martin Jay, Songs of Experience: Modern American and European Variations on a Universal Theme Louis Menand, The Metaphysical Club Elizabeth Fox-Genovese and Eugene Genovese, The Mind of the Master Class Catherine Tumber, American Feminism and the Birth of New Age Spirituality: Searching for the Higher Self 1875-1915 George Cotkin, Existential AmericaDavid [...]

Vernon Louis Parrington (1871–1929)

For many contemporary historians, Vernon Louis Parrington, was the greatest literary historian in America. A two-time graduate from Harvard University, 1893 and in 1897 respectively. Upon graduating from Harvard, he was hired as an instructor of English and Modern Languages at the University of Oklahoma. Parrington is known for his Pultitzer winning magisterial work for [...]

Quote of the Day

“Human beings participate in history both as actors and narrators.” – Michel-Rolph Trouillot

Obama, The Charismatic American!

From the outset, Barack Obama presents himself to the public, the American people with a messianic message. His message is rooted in the American dream. Obama’s campaign is nothing less than a movement. His movement carries a messianic overtone, signaling the time for change has arrived in the American soil. The Obama encountered in the [...]

Garraway on Haitian Revolution

Tree of Liberty: Cultural Legacies of the Haitian Revolution in the Atlantic World by Doris L. Garraway is supposed to be an adequate treatment on the importance of the Haitian Revolution. Professor Garraway is an excellent writer, having published a major work on The Libertine Colony: Creolization in the Early French Caribbean (Duke University Press, [...]

A Letter to Martin Luther King

Bishop Woodie W. WhiteLetter to Martin Luther King notes major shift in U.S. ethos Jan. 7, 2008 Editor’s note: Each year, United Methodist Bishop Woodie W. White writes a “birthday” letter to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. about the progress of racial equality in the United States. Now retired and serving as bishop-in-residence at [...]