Assembly Resolution No. 499

BY: M. of A. Solages

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        May 18, 2023, as Haitian Unity Day in the  State  of
        New  York,  in  conjunction  with  the observance of
        Haitian Heritage Month

  WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body, in  keeping  with
its  time-honored  traditions,  to  recognize  and  pay tribute to those
organizations which foster ethnic  pride  and  enhance  the  profile  of
cultural  diversity  which  strengthens the fabric of the communities of
New York State; and

  WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and  in  full  accord  with  its
long-standing  traditions,  this  Legislative  Body  is  justly proud to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 18, 2023,  as  Haitian
Unity  Day  in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance
of Haitian Heritage Month; and

  WHEREAS, Haiti, located less than 700 miles from the  United  States
of  America,  is  the second nation in the Western Hemisphere, after the
United States, to earn its independence, and has, since 1803, stood as a
beacon of freedom as the first Black-governed republic in the world; and

  WHEREAS, Haiti is one of the original members of the United  Nations
and several of its specialized and related agencies, as well as a member
of the Organization of American States (OAS); and

  WHEREAS,  On  August  22,  1791,  Haiti  was the island nation where
hundreds of thousands of enslaved persons initiated the most  successful
slave  rebellion  in  history; under the military leadership of Francois
Toussaint L'Ouverture, the grandson of  an  African  chief,  making  the
Haitian  revolution  a  major  turning point in the history of the world
with repercussions extending far beyond the Caribbean nation; and

  WHEREAS, The contributions  of  Jean-Jacques  Dessalines,  a  former
slave,  led to Haiti's declaration of independence in 1804; Jean-Jacques
Dessalines  became  the  first  ruler   over   an   independent   Haiti;
Jean-Jacques  Dessalines'  actions left a legacy of Haitian nationalism;
The Haitian National anthem, La Dessalinienne, is  named  after  him  to
honor his fervent efforts to protect the independence of Haiti; and

  WHEREAS,  Haiti's  victory against France redefined Napoleon's goals
in the Western Hemisphere  and  so  set  the  stage  for  the  Louisiana
Purchase,  a single acquisition doubling the United States' size, giving
the United States its heartland, control of the  Mississippi  River  and
the  important  port  city  of  New  Orleans  on the Gulf of Mexico; the
Louisiana territory drew immigrants from all over  Europe,  transforming
and strengthening the United States and the American people; and

  WHEREAS,  For  many  years  preceding  the  American  Civil War, the
Haitian Revolution had a substantial influence over many of the policies
and laws in the United States that related to slavery such as,  in  1794
and  1800,  the  federal  government passage of anti-slave trade laws to
prevent the possible spread of the Haitian slave revolt  to  the  United

States:    prohibiting  citizens  from  equipping ships engaged in slave
trade commerce, barring Americans from serving  aboard  such  ships,  or
from having any interest in their voyages; and

  WHEREAS,  In  1792,  a  number  of measures taken to prevent a slave
rebellion in the United States were so brutal and  inhumane  that  these
acts  drove  and  strengthened  the  crusade of the abolitionists in the
United States, therefore having a profound  influence  on  the  movement
that led to the Civil War; and

  WHEREAS,  The Haitian Revolution ignited a ground-breaking change in
the history of the modern world by enabling  hundreds  of  thousands  of
African  slaves worldwide and tens of thousands of free persons of color
to find the wherewithal  to  unite  in  the  quest  for  individual  and
collective liberty; and

  WHEREAS, Haitian people have migrated to the United States since the
1700s, resulting in approximately 200,000 Haitians residing in the State
of New York; and

  WHEREAS,  Our  state  enjoys  a  great legacy from the successors of
freed Haitian slaves who came  to  the  United  States,  notably  Pierre
Toussaint, the first layman now being proposed by the Catholic Church to
become  a  saint,  who  arrived in New York in 1787, where he turned his
home into a shelter for orphans, a credit bureau, an employment  agency,
and  a  safe  haven for priests; Toussaint was a benefactor of the first
New York City Catholic school for Black children at St. Vincent de  Paul
on  Canal  Street;  Toussaint  also  provided money to build a new Roman
Catholic church in New York, which became old Saint Patrick's  Cathedral
on Mulberry Street; and

  WHEREAS,  In  October of 1995, Pope John Paul II, from the throne in
the sanctuary of New York's Saint Patrick's Cathedral, publicly bestowed
Pierre Toussaint with the suffix Venerable, which  is  the  second  step
towards becoming a saint in the Catholic Church because Pierre Toussaint
transcends race through his miracle and charitable acts as evidence that
he  is  not a man limited in range and that his love for his neighbor is
not restricted to race or tribe; and

  WHEREAS, Many other notable Haitians have made rich contributions to
the nation, such as the Tuskegee trained Raymond  Cassagnol  who  helped
form the Haitian Air Force in the United States; and

  WHEREAS,  Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable was born in Saint-Marc Haiti;
Du Sable became the first permanent resident of Chicago and is known  as
the  Father of Chicago; Du Sable was honored with the creation of the Du
Sable Museum of African American History in  Washington  Park  and  also
honored with the issue of a Black Heritage Series, 22 cent post stamp on
February 20th, 1987; and

  WHEREAS,  W.E.B.  Du  Bois  was  a  civil rights activist who helped
advocate for equality amongst  African  Americans,  he  also  encouraged
social  mobility  by  introducing African Americans to higher education,
W.E.B. Du Bois is the founder of the NAACP and he  was  also  the  first
African  American  to  earn a doctorate degree, thus setting a precedent
for the development of the Black race in the United States; and

  WHEREAS, Jean-Michel Basquiat, born in Brooklyn,  New  York,  became
famous for his profound, thought provoking artwork which employed social
commentary  to  discuss  social inequalities and promote social mobility
and  equality;  Basquiat's  artwork  has  been   influential   to   many
contemporary   artists  and  poets;  Basquiat's  legacy  is  universally
recognized as a catalyst for social change; and

  WHEREAS, John James Audubon, born in  Haiti,  inspired  one  of  the
founders  of  the Audubon Society in the late 1800s, to name the society
after John James Audubon because of his reputation and deep appreciation
and concern for the natural world; to this day, the name Audubon remains
synonymous with  avian  life,  wildlife  protection,  and  environmental
conservation the world over; and

  WHEREAS,  Haitian culture and contributions have had a definite mark
on not only the progression of equality and independence but  also  upon
the development of eclectic expressions of arts and literature, moreover
the  long  lasting  influence  that Haitian Americans have on the United
States can be seen through the movements of a productive  society,  such
developments  have  been  collectively  centered  to  push  the populace
forward; and

  WHEREAS, It is the practice of this Legislative  Body  to  recognize
those important days which remind us of the rich and diverse heritage of
our great State and Nation; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 18, 2023,  as  Haitian
Unity  Day  in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance
of Haitian Heritage Month, in honor of Haiti's  legacy  of  liberty  and
justice  throughout  the  world  and  in  honor  of  the significant and
countless contributions of New  Yorkers  of  Haitian  descent  who  have
enriched our Nation and our State; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of  New
York.