Haiti: 500 long years of oppression

Haiti's 500 years of oppression can be divided roughly into three periods: first, 200 years of oppression by the Spanish, followed by 200 years of oppression by the French, then approximately 100 years of oppression by Americans.  One enormous tragedy followed by another.

The Spanish:  they quickly eliminated, through brutality and disease, the total Native American population (total genocide: there are NO American peoples on any of the Caribbean islands); the Spanish then replaced Caribs with African slaves.

The French:  they took over Haiti and rapidly increased the slave population.  Slaves produced large amounts sugar and other tropical crops making Haiti a very valuable colony---the Pearl of the Antilles. After about 100 years of slavery, the slaves successfully revolted and threw the French oppressors out.  The French threatened to reinvade; to prevent this the freed slaves reluctantly agreed to pay a massive extortion; this resulted in 100 years of debt slavery.  There was no money left to build schools, roads, etc. crippling Haiti.

The Americans:  after the successful slave revolt in 1800, the U.S. regarded Haiti with suspicion and hostility. The U.S. never made Haiti a legal colony but we exerted political and economic dominance over Haitians.  For about 15 years, the Marines invaded and occupied Haiti; the U.S. government was friendly to two ruthless dictators, Papa Doc and Baby Doc.  Occasionally, we helped Haiti, but the pattern was the U.S. rich and powerful allying with the Haitian elite, exploiting the poor.

Haiti today: the result of 500 years endless oppression is: extreme poverty for the masses, poor roads, limited education, high unemployment, malnutrition, high infant mortality.

Warning:  without a knowledge of the profound impact of 500 years of oppression, a person is likely to draw flawed conclusions about Haitians, that the problem is Haitian inferiority, Haitian dysfunction, Haitian corruption, Haitian voodoo, etc., not understanding the enormous damage done by 500 years of oppression.  And that oppression continues today both by internal oppressors and outside oppressors.  Oppression causes social death---the dysfunction of all social institutions beginning with the family.  Or oppression causes social PTSD---individual, family and community.  Oppression notably smashes the body; it also crushes the spirit.

Outside missionaries: far too often their ministry is love for the poor, but not justice for the oppressed; love for the poor is good, but justice for the oppressed is best.

Suggested solutions:

1.  Know the full truth about Haiti history.
2.  Support Christian Community Development ministries such as Haiti Christian Development Fund; read At Home with the Poor.
3.  Develop a deep biblical understanding of the kingdom of God.  STUDY the following Scripture in a group; Lev. 25, Neh. 5; Isa. 58; Messianic passages---9:7; 11:1-4; 16:5; 28:16-17; 42:1-4; 61:1-2---Luke 4:18-19; Mt. 6:33; Rom. 14:17 in NEB.