DESIGNATING MAY 2025 AS "HAITIAN HERITAGE MONTH" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Sen. Brown & Sen. Pinkney & Rep. Cooke & Rep. Chukwuocha & Rep. Wilson-Anton

Sens. Hansen, Lockman, Pettyjohn, Sokola, Townsend, Wilson; Reps. Harris, Heffernan, K. Johnson, Neal, Ross Levin

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 73

DESIGNATING MAY 2025 AS "HAITIAN HERITAGE MONTH" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

WHEREAS, Haitian Heritage Month is celebrated by the Haitian diaspora around the world to celebrate Haitian heritage and culture; and

WHEREAS, as educators, authors, entrepreneurs, community leaders, activists, athletes, artists, musicians, and politicians, Haitian Americans have made their mark and have contributed to the betterment and diversity of this state and the nation; and

WHEREAS, Haitians fought in the American Revolution to support independence efforts from the British; and

WHEREAS, the Republic of Haiti declared its independence from French colonial rule on January 1, 1804, following a slave revolt, and won its independence from the French, led by revolutionaries to include Toussaint de Bréda (also known as "Toussaint L'Ouverture"), Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Henri Christophe, Alexandre Pétion, Victoria Montou (also known as "Gran Toya" and "Adbaraya Toya"), Dutty Boukman, Marie-Jeanne Lamartinière, Cécile Fatiman, and Suzanne "Sanité" Bélair; and

WHEREAS, Haiti is the only country to be born of a successful revolt of enslaved people declaring their independence and affirming their humanity, becoming the first independent state in Latin America and the Caribbean and the first postcolonial independent nation led by blacks in the world; and

WHEREAS, Haiti was the first country in the world to abolish slavery, helped Simón Bolívar lead the charge to liberate Latin America from Spanish rule, supported Greece's efforts for independence, and cast the deciding vote in the United Nations to allow Israel to be recognized as a nation in modern times; and

WHEREAS, observed every year on May 18, Haitian Flag Day was celebrated secretly in Haiti during United States occupation from 1915 to 1934 and was first celebrated in communities around the world in the late 1990s; and

WHEREAS, the Haitian flag known today, which was officially adopted in 1806 by President Alexandre Pétion, is emblazoned with the country's coat of arms and the colors red and blue, adopted from the flag of France, the country from which Haiti gained its independence; and

WHEREAS, General Jean-Jacques Dessalines is regarded as the father of the Haitian flag and, according to Haitian historical tradition, was known to have dramatically cut the French tricolor with his saber at the May 1803 Arcahaie Congress, ripping away the white of the French flag to symbolize an end to European influence and leaving two strips that Catherine Flon then sewed back together: the blue, which represented the former African slaves brought to Haiti by colonial powers, and the red, which symbolized people of mixed European and African descent; and

WHEREAS, the Haitian flag is a definitive symbol of pride for the Caribbean nation, having become the second republic, after the United States, to defeat a European colonial power in the Americas; and

WHEREAS, Haitian Flag Day events are annually observed and celebrated with pride and enthusiasm throughout Delaware and the United States; and

WHEREAS, as educators, authors, community leaders, activists, athletes, artists, musicians, and politicians, Haitians and Haitian Americans have left an indelible mark on every facet of this nation's society and the world, evidenced by the accomplishments of such icons as Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, founder of the City of Chicago; civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois; National Football League player Pierre Garҫon; author and candidate for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2009, Frankétienne; and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Nikki M. James; and

WHEREAS, an estimated 1.2 million persons of Haitian descent now reside in the United States, with more than 15,000 calling Delaware home; and

WHEREAS, the United States and the State of Delaware have thrived as a melding of immigrants, united by common values and the promise of a better tomorrow; and

WHEREAS, Haitian Heritage Month and Haitian Flag Day salute the Haitian and Haitian American communities and exhibit appreciation for their culture and heritage, which have immeasurably enriched the lives of the people of this State and nation.

NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 153

rd

General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that May 2025 is designated as "Haitian Heritage Month" in the State of Delaware, and all communities and individuals throughout the state and nation are encouraged to honor Haitian and Haitian-American culture and remember that America's greatness lies in its diversity.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that May 18, 2025, is designated as "Haitian Flag Day" in the State of Delaware.

SYNOPSIS

This resolution designates May 2025 as “Haitian Heritage Month” and May 18, 2025, as "Haitian Flag Day" in the State of Delaware and encourages all Delawareans to honor Haitian and Haitian American culture.

Author: Senator Brown