Caribbean News
Millions around the World are getting set to Celebrate Haitian Flag Day in a Monumental way
Deandrea Hamilton
Editor
May 15, 2025 – While there is no official global count of participants, it’s estimated that over 3.5 million Haitians living outside Haiti will commemorate Haitian Flag Day on May 18, 2025, alongside the nearly 12 million residents of Haiti itself, according to online sources.
Haitian Flag Day, observed annually on May 18, celebrates the creation of the Haitian flag in 1804 during the Haitian Revolution. The day is marked by parades, cultural festivals, and community gatherings both in Haiti and across the global Haitian diaspora.
In the United States, cities with significant Haitian populations host major celebrations. Brooklyn’s Haitian Culture Day Parade and Festival attracts over 10,000 attendees annually, featuring music, dance, and Haitian cuisine. Similarly, Miami’s Little Haiti Cultural Complex hosts events showcasing Haitian music, dance, and art.
In London, celebrations are listed for Sunday, May 18, 2025 at Pavilion Hall, located at 25 Avenue Road, South Norwood Lakes, London,
SE25 4DX, starting at 3:00 PM. Organized by the Haitian Heritage Group UK, this gathering aims to honor Haiti’s Flag Day—a significant occasion commemorating the creation of the Haitian flag in 1803 during the nation’s fight for independence from France. The event will feature cultural performances, music, and community activities celebrating Haitian heritage and pride.
Tickets are priced at £8.00 and must be purchased in advance. These events not only honor Haitian heritage but also strengthen community bonds and cultural pride among Haitians worldwide.
Not to be outdone, Paris, France is set to host a significant Haitian Flag Day celebration on Sunday, May 18, 2025. The event, known as the Caribbean Flag Festival, is expected to draw over 1,000 attendees, highlighting the vibrant Haitian community in the city.
Haitian Flag Day Celebrations in Canada are many. We begin in Montreal, Quebec which is home to one of the largest Haitian communities in Canada, will host multiple events including Haitian Flag Day Fest Montreal which is organized by Natyf TV; it’s to be held on Saturday.
There are also cultural displays like the one in Alberta to commemorate the 222nd Haitian Flag Day with a celebration on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at the Hellenic Banquet Hall. The event will feature cultural performances, music, and community engagement. It’s hosted by the Haiti Association of Calgary.
Canada will also colour the Falls. In a symbolic tribute, Niagara Falls will be illuminated in red and blue, the colors of the Haitian flag, on May 18, 2025, from 10:15 AM to 10:30 PM. This gesture honors Haitian Flag Day and the contributions of the Haitian community in Canada.
Some of Haiti’s most famous people are: Toussaint Louverture – Leader of the Haitian Revolution, instrumental in Haiti becoming the first Black republic and the first country to abolish slavery; Jean-Jacques Dessalines – Founding father of Haiti; declared the country’s independence in 1804 and became its first ruler; Henri Christophe – Key general in the revolution and later King of northern Haiti and Catherine Flon – Credited with sewing the first Haitian flag in 1803. On the music and art scenes: Wyclef Jean – Grammy-winning musician, producer, and former member of The Fugees. A strong advocate for Haiti; Michaëlle Jean – Former Governor General of Canada (2005–2010), born in Haiti; Emeline Michel – Acclaimed Haitian singer known as the “Queen of Haitian Song”; T-Vice – Popular Haitian band known for their impact on compas music and unforgettable, the iconic sound that helped catapult Salt-N-Pepa to fame—especially their breakout hit “Push It”—was significantly shaped by Haitian-American Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor.
Actors and Entertainers from Haiti include: Jimmy Jean-Louis – Haitian actor known for roles in Heroes, Fat Girls, and international films and Garcelle Beauvais – Actress, model, and TV personality, known for The Jamie Foxx Show and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Haiti is also proud of these Intellectuals and Writers: Edwidge Danticat – Renowned Haitian-American author of Breath, Eyes,
Memory and The Dew Breaker and Frankétienne – Influential writer, poet, and playwright; pioneer of the spiralisme literary movement. On the list of most notable athletes with Haitian roots are: Naomi Osaka – While primarily identifying as Japanese-Haitian, the tennis star often acknowledges her Haitian roots and Jeff Louis – Haitian footballer who played for several European clubs and the national team.
An honourable mention in the sports category has to be NBA superstar Stephen Curry, who has won multiple championships as leader of the Golden State Warriors. Curry’s mother is Haitian-born.
A recent famous addition to the long list of accomplished people from Haiti, is the newly elected Roman Catholic pontiff, Pope Leo XIV whose Haitian-American heritage is making social media rounds.
Haiti has long been an influence on the world, and though the republic has many times fallen into disarray, there is no denying its impact and indomitability.
It is the world’s first successful slave revolt, leading to the first independent Black republic. Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean region, is also credited with inspired liberation movements across Latin America and the Caribbean and is the first country to permanently abolish slavery.
It is home to the largest fortress in the Western Hemisphere: Citadelle Laferrière and we are so in love with its music, Kompa and its food including Griot.
We wish the people of Haiti well as the nation of millions pushes past the current darkness, and it is very dark, to embrace the steady light of a new life that can be crafted with faith, focus and help from family and friends.
Happy Haitian Flag Day – “Lavi se pa blanch — men li toujou bèl” – which means life isn’t perfect, but life is beautiful!
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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