In the 20th century apartheid became a byword for state sanctioned white supremacist oppression and domination of Afrikans, particularly in Azania (South Africa). Many history books will assert that apartheid slipped into oblivion when Nelson Mandela was elected that country’s first Afrikan president. As such it ceased to be official government policy, although it is questionable whether the ideology and even some of the structures of apartheid ever left.
Now, some commentators are suggesting that apartheid has actually been revived in the Caribbean state of the Dominican Republic (DR) on an island (dubbed Hispaniola in European parlance) shared Haiti. Back in December 2013, Ezili Dantò, founder and President of Ezili’s Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network (“HLLN”) stated: “The Dominican Republic Constitutional Court ruling to strip the nationality of Haitian descendants going back eight decades is legally absurd, blatantly racist and violates basic laws of fundamental fairness and human rights.” She was making reference to Dominican Constitutional Court ruling TC/0168/13 issued on 23 September 2013. Under the ruling, Dominicans born to foreign parents after 1929 and who were never issued documents are now required to self-report as “foreigners illegally residing in the country” by June 16 2015 or face deportation. An estimated 250,000 will be affected because Haitians born in DR are categorised as “in transit” are issued with birth certificates and thereby ineligible freedom of movement, education, work and access to healthcare.
This caused an international outcry when passed, that has intensified now that that deportations have begun but the DR remain undeterred. President Danilo Medina has defended its policies as a humane solution to a long-standing problem related to a steady flow of illegal migration from Haiti: “The Dominican Republic is a country without exclusion, without discrimination, but also a country that is rigorously organized in which the law must be followed. No other nation in the world, or international organization, can demand that the Dominican Republic make sacrifices to its migratory system, or any other sovereign right beyond those in place through laws and the constitution.” Many Dominicans have reportedly backed Medina’s handling of the situation and have seen his approval rating soar to 91 percent.
However, there are also complex, historical factors at play in DR that may the explain the apparent popularity of this policy within DR. A central factor is the concept of antihaitianismo defined as a racist bias against Haitians. It is interesting to note for example that DR celebrates February 27th the day in 1844 that it repelled Haitian efforts to unify the isalnd as its independence day even though it was occupied by the Spanish before and after this date, as well as by the USA after Spain’s second occupation. LaToya A. Tavernier, Visiting Lecturer at Framingham State University gives some insight into this ideology in her essay The Stigma of Blackness: Anti-Haitianism in the Dominican Republic: “They created a national identity that defined Dominicans as white, Catholic, and culturally Hispanic, in stark contrast to Haitians whom they characterized as being black, voodoo practitioners, and culturally African.”
Antihaitianismo, then is a creed that can give rise to atrocities like the so-called Parsley Massacre 1937, when up to 30,000 Haitians were slaughtered by the Rafeal Trujillo government right up to the lynching of Henry Claude Jean in February of this year. It can also be manifested in everyday ways like a troupe dressing up at the Ku Klux Klan in the 2014 carnival parade, although the government dismissed the controversy by saying it was intended as a criticism of the USA. There is a feeling that now the deportations have begun, the levels of violence may increase. However, given the evidence that the ruling oligarchs of both DR and Haiti are beholden to the USA, it is questionable how serious a critique this would be.
The extent of the international campaign is evidenced by the Protest outside the Dominican Republic Tourist Information Centre, 18-22 Hand Court, High Holborn, London. WC1V 6JF taking place on Monday 29 June 2015 from 4.30 p.m.
So we ask the question:
IS THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC NOW AN APARTHEID STATE?
01. How will this ruling benefit the Dominican Republic?
02. Should the Dominican Republic be boycotted?
03. What are the origins of antihaitianismo and what is its impact?
04. What is the position of the Haitian government on the ruling?
05. Why does the Dominican Republic celebrate its independence from Haiti rather than Spain or USA?
06. Are there any external forces at play in the DR ruling?
Our special guests are:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK. A veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An Africentric Guide To Excellence
Sis. Ezili Dantò: is founder of the Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network, a network of lawyers, journalists, activists and grassroots human rights and cultural organizations dedicated to institutionalizing the rule of law and protecting the civil and cultural rights of Haitians at home and abroad. She also runs the Ezili Dantò website, listserve (reaching over three-and-a-half million readers with its postings and newsletters)., eyewitness project, FreeHaitiMovement and the on-line journal, Haitian Perspectives. Sis. Ezili is dedicated to correcting the media lies and colonial narratives about Haiti. A writer, performance poet and lawyer, . Ezili Dantò is a pro-democracy Haitian-American activist who was once legal advisor to President Jean Bertrand Aristide of Haiti. She is a gifted spoken word artist and the writer, performer and producer of the “Red Black & Moonlight” series – her critically acclaimed one-woman Jazzoetry Vodun dance theater works and the author of Vodun Woman: A Performance Poetry Collection and the Kenbe La books.
Bro. Mario Gousse: is founder of the new organization the Jack The First Foundation that campaigns on Haitian issues. His is also a founder member of founding member of the group United Haitians in the United Kingdom (UHUK) and current serves on the Executive Committee of the Haiti Support Group. Bro. Mario was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He is a qualified translator and interpreter of Haitian Creole
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