Even as far away as Massachusetts, Haitian Flag Day is a festive occasion of national pride, even in times of trouble.
Celebrated annually on May 18 the day honors the flag that was created in 1803 by Catherine Flon, who was involved in the Haitian Revolution. For Haitians, Flag Day is a time of pride and joy, marked by large family gatherings, parades, and dance parties that celebrate Haiti’s rich history. It is a day for sharing stories of Haiti’s great heroes with children, passing down the culture and fostering enthusiasm for the country’s future.
Haiti became the first free republic of former slaves on Jan. 1, 1804, after fighting for liberation since 1791. Since then, the country has struggled to maintain a stable government capable of supporting its people. Decades of political turmoil have led to hundreds of thousands of Haitians fleeing the country. Many of these refugees settle in Massachusetts, which has the third largest population of Haitians in America. We have seen an increase in Haitian immigrants seeking services, especially for employment. These immigrants vary in age and education levels, but all share a willingness to take any job available.
In Massachusetts, this year a group of Haitians under the leadership of a local pastor raised the Haitian flag at the City Hall in Somerville. It was the ideal opportunity for the mayor of this city to celebrate with the Haitian community, to enjoy and learn the wonderful history behind this flag.
It was the same in Everett. This city has a tradition of celebrating the Haitian Flag Day. High school children are told about the history of Haiti, which gained its independence after a group of former slaves joined together to fight not to return to slavery and which later led to the creation of the State of Haiti. A large percentage of these Haitian immigrants are here for two years under the “Biden Humanitarian Act,” and many we serve at a nonprofit in Boston have expressed fear about having to return to Haiti within that time frame. It is reported that 80% of the capital of Haiti is under the control of violent gangs.
In Haiti, Cap Haitian continued to celebrate the flag with the students who made a beautiful parade in the streets of the city. Great marching bands parade in town during the May 18 parade in the city of Cap Haitian. The presidential council at the Capital held a small ceremony in their office to celebrate the big day. Only four of the nine council members were present at the event. In his speech, the president of the presidential council, Edgard Leblanc, emphasized the symbolism of the flag, which is unity.
According to him, unity is a necessity if we want to remove the country from these difficult times that it has been through. The presidential council began to act after it was installed last month. The self-elected president, Edgard Leblanc, was installed. The vote lacked transparency, which caused many of the members to contest the election of Leblanc. Now the council has to choose a prime minister to lead the next government. There are more than 100 people who have filed to become prime minister. That seems ridiculous to many people who follow the politics in Haiti. They think that it is the same absence of unity that causes everyone to think they can become leaders. The reality is, the selection criteria for the prime minister are not clearly defined.
Now the presidential council wrote to the president of Kenya to officially request the deployment of the multinational Security Support Mission, which will have the mission of helping the Haitian police to fight gangs and restore peace throughout the country in order to organize the elections. Many people put a lot of hope on this mission and the arrival of the next government to get the country out of its complicated situation.
Despite the turmoil, the Flag Day reminds us to hope for a better Haiti.

Milourdes Augustin (MiMi) came to America in 1996 and is a former political activist now helping immigrants with job placement. Kery Forges is from Haiti and moved to Boston five years ago and is now an employment specialist at a nonprofit in Boston.