by Bernie Gengel
Growing up in the United States, I remember very clearly how much the notion of pride and patriotism in one’s country was emphasized. Whether it was sitting on the banks of the Saranac River in Plattsburgh, NY watching the fireworks commemorate our Independence on July 4, or sitting around the campfire on Lake Champlain with sparklers in hand on Memorial Day, from my earliest years I knew that we were celebrating our nation. The Pledge of Allegiance each morning in school instilled a sense of pride and identity as an American, and all that Old Glory represented to me as a young child was good and pure and true.
Nationalism is not unique to the United States. Nationalism and patriotism serve several functions, but perhaps first and foremost they serve as a means of social cohesion and commonality amongst citizens of the same country. Our historical context resonates decades and even centuries on in our collective experience as a people. In Haiti, May is a month of great celebration and pride, in that the 1st of May recognizes Labor and Agriculture Day, and the 18th of May recognizes Haitian Flag Day. Both of these dates are recognized with a great sense of pride, and celebrated with great fanfare and pomp.
This year at Be Like Brit, the children and staff celebrated Labor and Agriculture Day by spending a morning planting in the community and working alongside our agronomist harvesting in our own gardens. A nation that fought back against the French and Napoleon to rise up out of slavery, the revolutionary spirit is strong here, and the work ethic of most Haitians is unparalleled. There is great pride in hard work, and Haitians by and large embrace that unlike any others I know.
As the first Black Republic, there is great pride in the Haitian Flag and what it represents for Haitians. For weeks now, our staff and children have been rehearsing special program to celebrate Flag Day – not something you would see or find in most American schools. Flag Day in the USA is not exactly high up on the list when it comes to national celebrations and holidays. Some take it more seriously than others, most notably Veterans and military families. Perhaps that is because they have a more significant investment into the meaning of that flag. In Haiti, everyone shares the collective experience of the revolution, and the significance of that win resonates through the generations.
We are excited for Wednesday, Flag Day, a day with no school, and a day for which we are preparing a community performance at the public park in downtown Grand-Goâve. Our very own seamstress, Madame Franck, has been hard at work putting together the red and blue clothes which represent the colors of the flag, and Coach Rolando, along with Peterson and Madame Gina have been working hard with the children, teaching them songs, choreographing dance routines, and preparing them to recite poetry and stories, all of which are a part of their collective history as Haitians. We are very excited for this day, and hope to share with you all some photos and video of the events later this week!
We love that we are able to learn from our children and staff as we grow together as a family, marking important traditions and understanding their significance in the lives of our children and in the society in which they call home. As we work to develop our children and grow them into global citizens, we look forward to sharing with them parts of our own history as Americans, too, and connect them to the world in a way that they might not ever have imagined.
Thank you for helping us help the children of Haiti at Be Like Brit! It is because of people like you that this is all possible!