Jean-Jacques Dessalines: Called for the massacre of Haiti’s white minority, which resulted in several thousand deaths. He became emperor of Haiti in 1804 and was assassinated in 1806. Fun fact: Haiti’s theme song (that is, national anthem), La Dessalinienne, is named after him.
Toussaint Louverture: The real OG.
Marie-Madeleine Lachenais: Mistress to Pétion and his successor, Jean-Pierre Boyer. The brains of the entire operation?
Marie-Louise Coidavid: Henri Christophe’s wife. She spent almost a decade in exile in Europe after Christophe’s suicide before returning to Haiti.
TL;DR: Folks fought for freedom, a lot of them died.
****Presentation update: I’m still working on the details for that side of things and have no new developments to report, other than the fact that I’m no longer making a PowerPoint. I’d like to keep it a surprise, but believe me, it’ll be worth it. Just you wait.****
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1 Or John Adams to Alexander Hamilton/Alexander Hamilton to Thomas Jefferson/Thomas Jefferson to Aaron Burr/Aaron Burr to Alexander Hamilton… I suppose all founding fathers were incredibly messy.
2 Not really. But wouldn’t that have been amazing?
Thursday, January 7
From: Sister Patricia Wagner
To: Alaine Beauparlant
Subject: Re: Alaine Beauparlant -Part I Assignment
Alaine,
Your write-up on the major actors in your chosen country’s formation was very tongue-in-cheek. It had that singular voice of yours that I’ve come to know well. I would even say that the voice surpassed the content in development, and your tangents and personal opinions distracted me from the substance of the work. Did you have any rhyme or reason as to why you chose to highlight the contributions of the individuals you summarized?
You devoted just a line and a half to Lachenais after complaining about the lack of women recognized in history and mentioned Marie-Louise only in the context of her husband. Your explanations broke down along the way and I was completely unable to follow the chronology of the important historical moments. What is a “meet-cute”? And what does that have to do with the Citadelle? You gave an extensive portrait of Vincent Ogé but completely glazed over arguably the most important historical figure, Toussaint Louverture. And distilling Dessalines to three sentences? You know better than that.
I’d like to give you a challenge. Switch it up. Take this project as seriously as it should be taken. Not just for the grades component (although don’t neglect that this assignment is worth 10 percent of your final project grade), or because your aunt would want you to because of her very public role in Haiti as the Minister of Tourism. Take it seriously because you take yourself seriously. This class is about growth, and in your case, growth will mean your ability to showcase your skills in taking directions and feedback. My feedback for this submission: less is more. Save the creativity for Assignment 2 and the creative writing workshop. You should’ve given me what I asked for, which is relevant information, sans the unnecessary side comments. Just think of what your mother used to do each day for work. Her stories were supposed to be objective and absent of editorializing, right? (Some would argue that they were not...but do what she was supposed to.)
For this reason, you earned a C- on this assignment. Don’t fret! You’re a wonderful writer and, with a lot of discipline, you’ll ace the paper and hit the upcoming in-person presentation portion of the project out of the park. Don’t you love unintentional alliteration? But you know something I don’t love? Surprises. I implore you, do NOT go overboard on Tuesday, January 12.
Please let me know if you have questions.
I’m praying for you,
Sister Wagner
-----------Message-----------
From: Alaine Beauparlant
To: Sister Patricia Wagner
Subject: Re: Re: Alaine Beauparlant -Part I Assignment
Hi Sister Wagner,
I’ve read your critiques and I agree—focusing on the women behind the scenes would be an interesting story. It’ll require some digging, but I’m up for the task. And I would argue that editorializing is what sets me apart from others.
Also, a C-? Don’t you think that’s a bit harsh? I have a 3.8 GPA to uphold!
Your favorite student,
Alaine
Friday, January 8
From: Alaine Beauparlant
To: Jules Beauparlant
Subject: Ugh. When will this end?
They’re really not going to let this go, are they?
What’s Next for the Reigning Queen of Sunday Talk?
By Colt Rivers, The Capitol Post
Has Celeste Beauparlant left TV news for good? The beleaguered host of Sunday Politicos has yet to emerge from the safe cocoon that is her family home in Haiti weeks after an unexpected face-off with Florida senator Andres Venegas. Sources very close to the situation at GNN have said that they aren’t even sure if Beauparlant will ever return to television.
“Everyone’s still discussing possibilities at the network, but she’s clearly damaged goods. There’s an enormous risk of losing a segment of our viewer base,” one source familiar with the dealings said on condition of anonymity.
Beauparlant, who made headlines six years ago for signing a $10 million contract to stay on as host of the surprising ratings hit Sunday Politicos, caught the attention of the public for another reason last December.
“She’s got a sizable deal and the management definitely wants its money’s worth,” the source said. “But slapping a senator on live television has to be some sort of breach of contract, even if he chose not to press charges.”
Viewers are still in the dark about what caused the violent outburst from the political journalist, but sources have said that the network intends to get to the bottom of it before making any long-term decisions. With the end of her contract on the horizon, network executives may choose to cut their losses and start over with a new host. Internal speculation points to midday anchor Keith Donahue, husband of Sunday Politicos’s executive producer, William Donahue, as a strong contender for the job.
The receiving end of Beauparlant’s attack, Venegas, is not without his own negative publicity. The former rising star of the Republican Party is facing calls to resign in the wake of questions regarding his use of party funds for personal use. Venegas’s stop on the show was widely considered the first leg of a non-apology tour to salvage any future political ambitions.
Celeste Beauparlant is the Latest Victim of the Racist Mainstream Media