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Hereby recognizing May 18, 2018, as Haitian Flag Day in Philadelphia.
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WHEREAS, Haiti became the only nation in the Western Hemisphere to defeat three European empires, and remains the only nation in the world established as the result of a successful revolutionary uprising of enslaved African people; and
WHEREAS, The Haitian Revolution was one of the most influential uprisings in the Western Hemisphere, sparking slave revolts throughout the Caribbean which forced the eventual end of slavery in the British and French Caribbean occupied territories. Additionally, it inspired the three major slave revolts in the United States; Gabrielle Prosser in 1800, Denmark Vesey in 1822, and Nat Turner in 1830; and
WHEREAS, After the capture of Toussaint L’Ouverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, his successor, modified the flag by stripping the white band from the French flag. Signifying that we are no longer under the white race domination, and inserting in the center the coat of arms with the words, “L'Union fait la force” meaning, “Through unity, there is strength”; and
WHEREAS, The Haitian flag is a symbol of pride, unity, individual liberty, and is tightly linked to the country’s history of struggle and freedom; it is a commemoration of the heroes of Haiti’s history with the red symbolizing the blood and the sacrifices made by the heroes of the Haitian Revolution, and the blue is emblematic of hope and unity; and
WHEREAS, The African heroes in “Hispaniola” fought for human rights, liberty, equality and fraternity, and went on to establish the first free black republic in the world, “The Republic of Haiti”; the first independent nation in Latin America and the first nation to renounce slavery; and
WHEREAS, Our beloved Haiti has given great gifts to black people all over the world; the gift of freedom, the gift of pride, and the gift to walk tall with their heads high. This bicolor flag is not only the Flag of Haiti but the flag of freedom, the flag of liberty, the flag of equality, the flag of fraternity around the world; and
WHEREAS, Haitians also fought for the American Independence at the siege of Savannah, Georgia, in 1779. The Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Domingue, a regiment of soldiers who formed one-tenth of the allied army before Savannah in the fall of 1779. This unit was comprised of over 500 free men of color from the island of Haiti and was the largest unit of men of African descent to fight in the American Revolution; and
WHEREAS, Haitians continue to have a strong heritage in America. The 2010 census recorded 881,488 Haitians living in the United States. In 2010, due to the earthquake, Haitians were granted Temporary Protected Status. Now, that status is soon to be rescinded, and almost 60,000 Haitians face an uncertain future in this country; and
WHEREAS, Haitians will continue to fight for justice, including supporting common sense immigration reform such as the legislation introduced by U.S. Representative Nydia Velazquez, the American Promise Act of 2017, which would allow temporary protected status holders or those with deferred enforced departure to apply for lawful permanent resident status; now, therefore, be it
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Korematsu>
RESOLVED, That the Philadelphia City Council hereby declares May 18, 2018, as Haitian Flag Day in Philadelphia.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Haitian Coalition of Philadelphia <http://fluidarity.us/haitiancoalition/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/hcp2005finalreport.pdf> to honor the Haitian Flag Day.
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