Jun 11
I’ve made it a daily habit to read a chapter of a book or listen to a podcast.
Today, I stumbled on an interesting report from #TheDaily, a podcast from The New York Times that highlights how France screwed up the nation of Haiti for daring to be free. More disappointing is the role played by the US Government in endorsing the injustice done by the French government
It was a five-part investigation during which a team of Times journalists tabulated the amount that Haitians had to pay France for their freedom and explored how the massive sum still affects Haiti today.
TL, DR;
More than 200 years ago, enslaved Haitians successfully revolted against their French masters and declared themselves free. Two decades later, the French government demanded Haitians pay reparations to former slave masters, under the threat of war. Without the funds to pay, Haitians had to take out a loan from French banks. This would come to be known as the “double debt,” and is part of the reason Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world today.
For details, I invite you to listen to the podcast yourself and arrive your own conclusions via this link.
