Famous people from Haiti
Here is a list of famous people from Haiti. Curious if anybody from Haiti made it our most famous people in the world list? Read the aformentioned article in order to find out.
Wyclef Jean
Hip hop Artist
Wyclef Jeanelle Jean is a three-time Grammy Award-winning Haitian-American rapper, singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the USA with his family and has spent much of his life in the country. He first received fame as a member of the acclaimed New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees. On August 5, 2010, Jean filed for candidacy in the 2010 Haitian presidential election, although the Electoral Commission subsequently ruled him ineligible to stand as he had not met the requirement to have been resident in Haiti for five years. Jean's efforts at earthquake relief, highly publicized in 2010 throughout Haiti and the United States, were channeled through his charitable organization, Yéle Haiti. The charity, which performed a variety of charitable works in Haiti between 2005 and 2010, effectively closed in 2012 after much controversy.
Toussaint Louverture
Politician
François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture, also Toussaint Bréda, Toussaint-Louverture, or Toussaint L'ouverture, was the leader of the Haitian Revolution. His military genius and political acumen transformed an entire society of slaves into the independent black state of Haiti. The success of the Haitian Revolution shook the institution of slavery throughout the New World. Toussaint Louverture began his military career as a leader of the 1791 slave rebellion in the French colony of Saint Domingue. Initially allied with the Spaniards of neighboring Santo Domingo, Toussaint switched allegiance to the French when they abolished slavery. He gradually established control over the whole island and used political and military tactics to gain dominance over his rivals. Throughout his years in power, he worked to improve the economy and security of Saint Domingue. He restored the plantation system using paid labour, negotiated trade treaties with Britain and the United States and maintained a large and well-disciplined army. In 1801 he promulgated an autonomist constitution for the colony, with himself as governor for life. In 1802 he was forced to resign by forces sent by Napoleon Bonaparte to restore French authority in the former colony. He was deported to France, where he died in 1803. The Haitian Revolution continued under his lieutenant, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who declared independence in 1804.
François Duvalier
Politician
François Duvalier, also known as 'Papa Doc' Duvalier, was the President of Haiti from 1957 until his death in 1971. He opposed a military coup d'état in 1950, and was elected president in 1957 on a populist and black nationalist platform. His rule, based on a purged military, a rural militia known as the Tonton Macoute and the use of a personality cult and voodoo, resulted in the murder of an estimated 30,000 Haitians and the exile of many more. Ruling as President for Life from 1964 until his death in 1971, Duvalier was initially known for successfully fighting diseases, gaining him the nickname 'Papa Doc'. He was succeeded by his son, Jean-Claude, nicknamed "Baby Doc".
Samuel Dalembert
Basketball Center
Samuel Davis Dalembert is a Haitian Canadian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. Dalembert began playing in Montreal, Quebec and played college basketball at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. Dalembert is known for his excellent shot blocking ability; he has averaged about two blocks per game over his NBA career, placing him among the league's elite in this category. He was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and lived there for fourteen years before moving to Montreal. After playing 8 seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings for Andres Nocioni and Spencer Hawes during the 2010 offseason. On December 21, 2011, Dalembert agreed to a two-year deal with the Houston Rockets. On June 27, 2012, Dalembert was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, along with the 14th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, for Jon Brockman, Jon Leuer, Shaun Livingston, and the 12th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. On July 19, 2013, Dalembert signed with the Dallas Mavericks.
Michaëlle Jean
Politician
Michaëlle Jean PC CC CMM COM CD FRCPSC is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation, from 2005 to 2010. Jean was a refugee from Haiti—coming to Canada in 1968—and was raised in the town of Thetford Mines, Quebec. After receiving a number of university degrees, Jean worked as a journalist and broadcaster for Radio-Canada and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as well as undertaking charity work, mostly in the field of assisting victims of domestic violence. In 2005, she was appointed governor general by Queen Elizabeth II, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Paul Martin, to replace Adrienne Clarkson as vicereine, and she occupied the post until succeeded by David Johnston in 2010. Early in her tenure, comments of hers recorded in some of the film works by her husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, were construed as supporting Quebec sovereignty and her holding of dual citizenship caused doubt about her loyalties. But Jean denied separatist leanings, renounced her citizenship of France, and eventually became a respected vicereine. Jean is currently the Special Envoy for Haiti for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and Chancellor of the University of Ottawa.
Garcelle Beauvais
Actor
Garcelle Beauvais is a Haitian actress and former fashion model. She is best known for her roles as Francesca "Fancy" Monroe on The WB television sitcom, The Jamie Foxx Show, which ran from 1996 to 2001, and as Valerie Heywood on the ABC crime drama, NYPD Blue.
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Politician
Jean-Bertrand Aristide is a Haitian former Catholic priest of the Salesian order and politician who served as Haiti's first democratically elected president. A proponent of liberation theology, Aristide was appointed to a parish in Port-au-Prince in 1982 after completing his studies. He became a focal point for the pro-democracy movement first under Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier and then under the military transition regime which followed. He won the Haitian general election, 1990-1991 with 67% of the vote and was briefly President of Haiti, until a September 1991 military coup orchestrated by the United States. The coup regime collapsed in 1994 under US pressure and threat of force. Aristide was then President again from 1994 to 1996 and from 2001 to 2004. However, Aristide was ousted in a 2004 coup d'état, in which one of his former soldiers participated. He accused the United States of orchestrating the coup d'état against him with support from Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson among others. Aristide was later forced into exile in the Central African Republic and South Africa. He finally returned to Haiti in 2011 after seven years in exile.
Adonis Stevenson
Professional Boxer
Adonis Stevenson is a Haitian-born Canadian professional boxer, who goes by the nickname "Superman". Although Stevenson usually fights as a super middleweight, as of June 8, 2013 he is the reigning Lineal, WBC, and The Ring light heavyweight champion. Stevenson won those titles from former champion Chad Dawson in his adopted hometown of Montreal. In the amateur, he was Quebec Middleweight champion in 2004, best amateur fighter of the country in 2005-2006, and he also grabbed the Canada national title in 2005 and 2006. Stevenson competed in the XVIII Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia in 2006 and won the silver medal losing to Local Australian, Jarrod Fletcher in the final. It was also the only medal a Canadian boxer received at the games. He has a record of 33-5 in amateur contests.
Michel Martelly
Kompa Artist
Michel Joseph Martelly, also known by his stage name "Sweet Micky", is a Haitian politician, former musician and businessman. Since May 2011 he is the President of Haiti, having been one of Haiti's best-known musicians for over a decade. For various reasons Martelly has moved a number of times between the United States and Haiti, living primarily in Florida during his time in the US. As a singer and keyboardist, "Sweet Micky" is known for his Kompa music, a style of Haitian dance music sung predominantly in the Haitian Creole language, but he blended this with other styles. Martelly popularized a "new generation" of compas with smaller bands relying on synthesizers and electronic instruments. From 1989 to 2008 Martelly recorded over a dozen studio albums and a number of live CDs. As a musician and club owner in Haiti in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Martelly became associated with the Duvalierist Haitian military and police, including figures such as police chief Michel François, and he agreed with the 1991 Haitian coup d'état against Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In 1995, after Aristide had been restored to office, Martelly's name appeared on a hit list of Duvalier supporters, and he stayed away from Haiti for almost a year. During this time he released a song, "Prezidan", "an exuberant ditty that called for a president who played compas". However, he did not run for political office until 2010, when he became a candidate for President of Haiti.
Jean-Claude Duvalier
Politician
Jean-Claude Duvalier, nicknamed "Bébé Doc" or "Baby Doc" was the President of Haiti from 1971 until his overthrow by a popular uprising in 1986. He succeeded François "Papa Doc" Duvalier, his father, as the ruler of Haiti following the older man's death in 1971. After assuming power, he introduced cosmetic changes to his father's regime and delegated much authority to his advisors, though thousands of Haitians were killed or tortured, and hundreds of thousands fled the country. He maintained a notoriously lavish lifestyle, and made millions from involvement in the drug trade and from selling body parts from dead Haitians while poverty among his people remained the most widespread for any country in the Western Hemisphere. Relations with the United States improved after Duvalier's ascension to the presidency, and later deteriorated under the Carter administration, only to again improve under Ronald Reagan due to the strong anti-communist stance of the Duvaliers. Duvalier unexpectedly returned to Haiti on January 16, 2011 after two decades in self-imposed exile in France. The following day, he was arrested by Haitian police, facing possible charges for embezzlement. On January 18, Duvalier was charged with corruption. On February 28, 2013, Duvalier pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption and human rights abuse.
Jean Pascal
Professional Boxer
Jean-Thenistor Pascal is a Haitian-born Canadian professional boxer. He is a former WBC and The Ring light heavyweight champion.
Thomas-Alexandre Dumas
Deceased Person
General Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie, also known as Alexandre Dumas, was the famous African European general in French history and remains the highest-ranking person of color of all time in a continental European army. He was the first person of color in the French military to become brigadier general, the first to become divisional general, and the first to become general-in-chief of a French army. Dumas shared the status of the highest-ranking black officer in the Western world only with Toussaint Louverture until 1989, when the American Colin Powell became a four-star general, the closest United States equivalent of Général d'Armée, Dumas's highest rank. Born in Saint-Domingue, Alexandre Dumas was of mixed race, the son of a white French nobleman and a black slave mother. He was born into slavery because of his mother's status but was also born into nobility because of his father's. His father took the boy with him to France in 1776 and had him educated. Slavery was illegal in metropolitan France and thus any slave would be freed de facto by being in the country. He helped him enter the French military.
Jimmy Jean-Louis
Actor
Jimmy Jean-Louis is a Haitian actor and model best known for his role as The Haitian on the NBC television series Heroes. Born in Pétionville, he moved to Paris at a young age to pursue a modeling career. His early roles were in French musical theatre and television commercials. Eventually settling in Los Angeles in the late 1990s, he had small roles in The Bourne Identity and Arliss before breaking into larger roles in American television and film.
Abner Louima
Man
Abner Louima is a Haitian who was assaulted, brutalized and forcibly sodomized with the handle of a plunger by New York City police officers after being arrested outside a Brooklyn nightclub in 1997.
René Préval
Politician
René Garcia Préval is a Haitian politician and agronomist who was twice President of the Republic of Haiti. He served from February 7, 1996, to February 7, 2001, and from May 14, 2006, to May 14, 2011. He was also Prime Minister from February 1991 to October 11, 1991. Préval was the first elected head of state in Haitian history since independence to serve a full term in office, and also the first to be elected to nonsuccessive full terms in office. His presidencies were marked by domestic tumult and attempts at economic stabilization, with his latter presidency being marred through the destruction wrought by the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
Alexandre Pétion
Politician
Alexandre Sabès Pétion was the first President of the Republic of Haiti from 1807 until his death in 1818. He is considered as one of Haiti's founding fathers, together with Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and his rival Henri Christophe.
Lee Holdridge
Composer
Lee Elwood Holdridge is a Haitian-born American composer and orchestrator.
Laurent Lamothe
Politician
Laurent Salvador Lamothe is a Haitian political figure who has served in the government of Haiti as Minister of Foreign Affairs since October 2011, having been appointed Prime Minister on 4 May 2012. Previously, he was co-founder and CEO of the company Global Voice Group.
Jean Pierre Boyer
Politician
Jean-Pierre Boyer was one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution, and President of Haiti from 1818 to 1843. He reunited the north and south of Haiti in 1820 and also occupied and took control of Santo Domingo, which brought all of Hispaniola under one government by 1822. Boyer managed to rule for the longest period of time of any of the revolutionary leaders of his generation. Born a free gens de couleur in Saint-Domingue and educated in France, Boyer had fought with Toussaint Louverture in the early years of the Haitian Revolution. He allied himself with André Rigaud, also of mulatto ancestry, in the latter's abortive insurrection against Toussaint to try to keep control of the southern region of Saint-Domingue. After going into exile in France, Boyer and Alexandre Pétion, another mulatto, returned in 1802 with the French troops led by General Charles Leclerc. After it became clear the French were going to try to reimpose slavery and restrictions on free gens de couleur, Boyer joined the patriots under Pétion and Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who led the colony to independence. After Pétion rose to power in the State of Haiti in the South, he chose Boyer as his successor. He was reportedly under the influence of his lover, Marie-Madeleine Lachenais, who acted as his political adviser.
Jean Baptiste Point du Sable
Deceased Person
Jean Baptiste Point du Sable is regarded as the first permanent resident of what became Chicago, Illinois. Little is known of his life prior to the 1770s. In 1779, he was living on the site of present-day Michigan City, Indiana, when he was arrested by the British military on suspicion of being an American sympathizer in the American Revolutionary War. In the early 1780s he worked for the British lieutenant-governor of Michilimackinac on an estate at what is now the city of St. Clair, Michigan, before moving to settle at the mouth of the Chicago River. He is first recorded living in Chicago in early 1790, having apparently become established sometime earlier. He sold his property in Chicago in 1800 and moved to St. Charles, Missouri, where he died on August 28, 1818. Point du Sable has become known as the "Founder of Chicago". In Chicago, a school, museum, harbor, park and bridge have been named, or renamed, in his honor; and the place where he settled at the mouth of the Chicago River in the 1780s is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, now located in Pioneer Court.
Bruny Surin
Olympic athlete
Bruny Surin is a Canadian athlete, winner of a gold medal in the 4x100 m relay at the 1996 Summer Olympics. In 2008 he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 1996 Summer Olympics 4x100 relay team.
Olden Polynice
Basketball Center
Olden Polynice is a Haitian former professional basketball player. He played center for the Seattle SuperSonics, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, and Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association.
Raoul Peck
Film Director
Raoul Peck is an award-winning Haitian filmmaker, of both documentary and feature films, and a political activist. Briefly, in the 1990s, he was Haiti's Minister of Culture.
Peguero Jean Philippe
Soccer Forward
Jean-Philippe Peguero is a Haitian professional footballer who is currently without a club.
Luck Mervil
Singer-songwriter
Luck Mervil is a Haitian-Canadian actor and singer-songwriter. He is known for his belief in Quebec independence, and was named Patriot of the Year by the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society in 2005. Mervil was a spokesperson for the Canadian Centre for International Studies and Cooperation. Prior to creating is own NGO Vilaj vilaj.
Dany Laferrière
Novelist
Dany Laferrière is a Haitian and Canadian novelist and journalist who writes in French.
Faustin Soulouque
Politician
Faustin-Élie Soulouque or Faustin I. He was a career officer and general in the Haïtian army when he was elected President of Haïti in 1847. In 1849 he was proclaimed Emperor of Haïti under the name Faustin I. He soon purged the army of the ruling elite, installed black-skinned loyalists in administrative positions, and created a secret police and a personal army. In 1849 he created a black nobility in the country. However, his unsuccessful attempts to reconquer the neighbouring Dominican Republic undermined his control and a conspiracy led by General Fabre Nicolas Geffrard forced him to abdicate in 1859.
Yves Jabouin
Man
Fernand Yves Jabouin is a Haitian-Canadian mixed martial artist who currently competes in the bantamweight division of the UFC.
Raoul Cédras
Politician
Joseph Raoul Cédras is a former military officer, and was de facto ruler of Haiti from 1991 to 1994.
Emmanuel Sanon
Soccer Forward
Emmanuel "Manno" Sanon was a Haitian footballer. He starred in the Haiti national football team during its venture into the 1974 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Réginal Goreux
Soccer Midfielder
Réginal Goreux is a Haitian football player, who also holds Belgian nationality. He can play as defender or midfielder. He currently plays for Krylia Sovetov and the Haiti national football team.
Joachim Alcine
Professional Boxer
Joachim Alcine is a Haitian-Canadian professional boxer fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, where he now resides.
Paul Frappier
Hip hop Artist
Paul Frappier, better known by his stage name Bad News Brown, was a Montreal-based Canadian entertainer, musician, and hip hop MC of Haitian origin. He was well known for pairing the sound of his chief instrument, the harmonica, with hip-hop beats and rhymes. Frappier started busking in Montreal taking his signature sound as a teenager to the streets and subway stations of Montreal. He later toured and opened for many well-known hip hop acts or as background musician. He also appeared as an impromptu host in Music for a Blue Train, the 2003 documentary about busker musicians in the Montreal Metro subway train system. In 2004, he signed a management deal with E-Stunt Entertainment Group. In 2009, he established his own record label Trilateral Entertainment Inc and released his debut studio album Born 2 Sin. He was murdered in Montreal, Canada, and his body was found there on February 12, 2011. The long feature film BumRush featuring him in a leading role premiered on 1 April 2011.
Philippe Kieffer
Military Person
Philippe Kieffer, capitaine de frégate in the French Navy, was a French officer and political personality, and a hero of the Free French Forces.
Joe Gaetjens
Soccer
Joseph Edouard Gaetjens was a Haitian soccer player who played for the United States national team in the 1950 FIFA World Cup, scoring the winning goal in the 1–0 upset of England.
Clairvius Narcisse
Man
Clairvius Narcisse is a Haitian man said to have been turned into a living zombie by a combination of drugs. After investigating reports of "zombies", researchers believed that Narcisse received a dose of chemical mixture containing tetrodotoxin and bufotoxin to induce a coma which mimicked the appearance of death. He was then allowed to return to his home where he collapsed, "died", and was buried. The Canadian ethnobotanist Wade Davis, who did the research on tetrodotoxin explains how this would have been done. The bokor would have given Narcisse a powder containing the tetrodotoxin through abraded skin. Narcisse fell into a comatose state, closely resembling death, which resulted in his live burial. His body was then recovered and he was given doses of Datura stramonium to create a compliant zombie-like state and set to work on a plantation. After two years, the plantation owner died and Narcisse simply walked away to freedom. According to the American Scientist interview, Narcisse came home to his village after 18 years of being assumed dead. He was able to convince a few villagers and his sister that he was who he said he was. This case puzzled many doctors because his death was documented and two American doctors' testimonies "verified" his death. The case of Clairvus Narcisse was the first potential verifiable example of transforming an individual into a zombie.
Jean-Jacques Pierre
Soccer
Jean-Jacques Pierre is a Haitian footballer currently plays for French club SM Caen.
Dayana Cadeau
Bodybuilder
Dayana Cadeau is a professional female bodybuilder from Canada. As of 2012, she is the most successful Canadian bodybuilder in the world, by being the only Canadian to win the Ms. Olympia Lightweight.
Wilde Donald Guerrier
Footballer
Wilde Donald Guerrier is a Haitian soccer player.
Jean Sony Alcenat
Soccer Midfielder
Jean Sony Alcenat, known as Sony, is a Haitian professional footballer who plays for FC Petrolul Ploieşti in Liga I, as a right defender
Jean Alexandre
Soccer Midfielder
Jean-Marc Alexandre is a Haitian international footballer who most recently played for Orlando City in the USL Professional Division. He also plays for the Haiti national football team, as both a midfielder and forward.
Frankétienne
Playwright
Frankétienne is an author, poet, playwright, musician and painter. He has written in both French and Haitian Creole. As a painter, he is known for his colorful abstract works, often emphasizing the colors blue and red. He was a candidate for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2009.
Jeanne Duval
Deceased Person
Jeanne Duval was a Haitian-born actress and dancer of mixed French and black African ancestry. For 20 years, she was the muse of French poet and art critic Charles Baudelaire. They met in 1842, when Duval left Haiti for France, and the two remained together, albeit stormily, for the next two decades. Duval is said to have been the woman whom Baudelaire loved most, in his life, after his mother. She was born in Haiti on an unknown date, sometime around 1820. Poems of Baudelaire's which are dedicated to Duval or pay her homage are: Le balcon, Parfum exotique, La chevelure, Sed non satiata, Le serpent qui danse, and Une charogne. Baudelaire called her "mistress of mistresses" and his "Vénus Noire", and it is believed that, to him, Duval symbolized the dangerous beauty, sexuality, and mystery of a Creole woman in mid-nineteenth century France. She lived at 6, rue de la Femme-sans-tête, near the hôtel Pimodan. Manet, a friend of Baudelaire, painted Duval in his 1862 painting Baudelaire's Mistress, Reclining. She was, by this time, going blind. Duval may have died of syphilis as early as 1862, five years prior to Baudelaire, who also died of syphilis. Other sources also claim that Duval survived Baudelaire. Nadar claimed to have seen Duval, last, in 1870—by this time, she was on crutches, suffering heavily from syphilis.
Jacques Roumain
Novelist
Jacques Roumain was a Haitian writer, politician, and advocate of Marxism. He is considered one of the most prominent figures in Haitian literature. Although poorly known in the English-speaking world, Roumain has significant following in Europe, and is renowned in the Caribbean and Latin America. The great African-American poet, Langston Hughes, translated some of Roumain's greatest works, including Gouverneurs de la Rosée. Although his life was short, Roumain managed to touch many aspects of Haitian life and culture.
Michèle Bennett
Woman
Michèle Bennett is the former First Lady of Haiti and the ex-wife of former President for Life of Haiti, Jean-Claude Duvalier. She currently lives in France after her husband was exiled from Haiti. She was divorced from Duvalier in 1990.
Jeff Louis
Soccer Midfielder
Jeff Louis is a Haitian professional footballer who plays for French club AS Nancy, as a midfielder.
Judelin Aveska
Soccer
Judelin Aveska is a Haitian football defender, who plays for Independiente Rivadavia in the Second Division of Argentina.
Pascal Millien
Soccer Forward
Pascal Millien is a Haitian footballer currently playing for Sligo Rovers in the League of Ireland Premier Division.
Leonel Saint-Preux
Soccer Forward
Leonel Saint-Preux is a Haitian footballer playing with FELDA United F.C. in Malaysia Super League.
Leslie Manigat
Politician
Leslie François Saint Roc Manigat was elected president of Haiti by a tightly controlled military held election in January 1988.
Rene Depestre
Author
René Depestre is a Haitian poet and former communist activist. He lived in Cuba as an exile from the Duvalier regime for many years and was a founder of the Casa de las Americas publishing house. He is best known for his poetry.
Kervens Belfort
Footballer
Kervens Fils Belfort is a Haitian international footballer who plays for French club Le Mans, as a striker.
Pierre Toussaint
Deceased Person
The Venerable Pierre Toussaint was a former slave from the French colony of Saint-Domingue who was brought to New York City by his owners in 1787. There he eventually gained his freedom and became a noted philanthropist to the poor of the city. Freed in 1807, after the death of his mistress, Pierre took the surname Toussaint in honor of the hero of the Haitian Revolution which established that nation. After his marriage in 1811, Toussaint and his wife performed many charitable works, opening their home as an orphanage, employment bureau, and a refuge for travelers. He contributed funds and helped raise money to build St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, New York on Mulberry Street. He was considered "one of the leading black New Yorkers of his day." His ghostwritten memoir was published in 1854. Due to his devout and exemplary life, the Catholic Church has been investigating his life for possible canonization and in 1996 he was declared "Venerable" by Pope John Paul II, the second step in the process. Toussiant is the first layperson to be buried in the crypt below the main altar of St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue, normally reserved for bishops of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York .
Vladimir Ducasse
American Football Player
Vladimir Ducasse is an Haitian-born American football offensive lineman for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the 2nd round, as the 61st overall pick.
James Marcelin
Soccer Midfielder
James Marcelin is a Haitian footballer who currently plays for Antigua Barracuda FC in the USL Pro.
Junior Galette
American Football Player
Junior Galette is an American football linebacker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Saints in 2010. He played college football at Temple University and Stillman College.
Peterson Joseph
Soccer Midfielder
Peterson Joseph is a Haitian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer. Known for having a soft touch on the ball and playing with quick one to two touch passes throughout the field. Joseph is known as the "Haitian Xavi".
Barbara Pierre
Olympic athlete
Barbara Pierre is a Haiti-born American track and field sprint athlete who competes internationally for the United States. Her specialty is the 60m and the 100 meter race, capturing a silver medal in the women’s 100-meter dash in each of the last three Pan American Games. Pierre also represented Haiti at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She competed at the 100 metres sprint and placed fourth in her first round heat, which normally meant elimination. However, her time of 11.52 was among the ten fastest losing times, resulting in a second round spot. There she failed to qualify for the semi finals as her time of 11.56 was the fifth time of her race.
Anténor Firmin
Politician
Joseph Auguste Anténor Firmin, better known as simply Anténor Firmin, was a Haitian anthropologist, journalist, and politician. Firmin is best known for his book De l'égalité des races humaines, which was published as a rebuttal to French writer Count Arthur de Gobineau's work Essai sur l'inégalité des races humaines. Gobineau's book asserted the superiority of the Aryan race and the inferiority of blacks and other people of color. Firmin's work, first published in 1885, argued the opposite, that "all men are endowed with the same qualities and the same faults, without distinction of color or anatomical form. The races are equal". He was marginalized at the time for his beliefs that all human races were equal. Firmin pioneered the integration of race and physical anthropology and may be the first black anthropologist. His work was recognized not only in Haiti but also among scholars of Africans as an early work of négritude. He had an impact on Jean Price-Mars, the founder of Haitian ethnology and on American anthropologist Melville Herskovits.
Dumarsais Estimé
Politician
Léon Dumarsais Estimé served as the President of Haïti from 16 August 1946 until 10 May 1950. He was the first black head of state since the US occupation of Haiti ended in 1934.
Sony Norde
Soccer Midfielder
Sony Norde is a Haitian footballer who currently plays for Liga de Ascenso club Estudiantes de Altamira. After a trial with Mexican side San Luis FC he was able to secure a spot at Argentine club Boca Juniors, he has yet to make a debut but has made a good impression while playing for San Luis FC's U-20 team scoring 8 goals. Sony Norde has represented the Haiti national football team at the Youth and Senior levels. He represented Haiti at the 2008 CONCACAF Men Olympic qualification tournament.
Jean Price-Mars
Author
Jean Price-Mars, born in Grande Rivière du Nord, was a Haitian teacher, diplomat, writer, and ethnographer. Price-Mars served as secretary of the Haitian legation in Washington and as chargé d'affaires in Paris. In 1922 he completed medical studies that he had given up for lack of a scholarship. After withdrawing as a candidate for the presidency of Haiti in favor of Stenio Vincent in 1930, Price-Mars led Senate opposition to the new president and was forced out of politics. In 1941, he was again elected to the Senate. He was secretary of state for external relations in 1946 and, later, ambassador to the Dominican Republic. In his eighties, he continued service as Haitian ambassador at the United Nations and ambassador to France.
Coupé Cloué
Musical Artist
Jean Gesner Henry, popularly known as Coupé Cloué, was a Haïtian singer, guitarist, and bandleader. He was known for defining a style of Haïtian compas music he called kompa mamba, and for the sometimes bawdy innuendo used in his songs. During his career, he was one of Haïti's most prominent musicians, and found much success in West Africa as well. As a young man, he received a classical music education and worked as a cabinetmaker before becoming a professional soccer player. It was from soccer, playing defense for the Port-au-Prince club Aigles Noirs, that he acquired his nickname, "Coupé Cloué" or "cut and nail". He began performing on guitar in 1951, and in 1957 he formed the band Trio Crystal, which he later renamed Trio Select, along with another guitar player and a maraca player. Their first album, one of the dozens Henry released during his career, was released in the late 1960s. In the early 1970s the group expanded from its original three, and renamed itself Ensemble Select. That decade also saw an increase in his use of racy spoken preaching and storytelling in addition to singing during songs; this became one of his trademarks. In 1978 Henry toured extensively in Africa, greatly increasing his international prominence. His popularity in West Africa was especially boosted by similarities between the rhythms and sounds of Henry's music and indigenous African soukous music. It was there that Henry earned the nickname Roi Coupé, or King Coupé. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Henry continued to perform and record prolifically.
Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche
Engineer
Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche was a Paris-educated Haitian engineer. He was the only black passenger on the ill-fated voyage of the RMS Titanic. He got his pregnant French wife and their two daughters onto a lifeboat; they survived, but he himself did not. At the age of 15, he was sent to Beauvais, France to study. After he graduated with an engineering degree, he married Frenchwoman Juliette Lafargue. However, he was unable to find work matching his qualifications due to the color of his skin in a racist society. Tired of living off of his wine seller father-in-law, he decided to return to Haiti with his growing family. His uncle, Cincinnatus Leconte, the President of Haiti, arranged a job for him as a math teacher. His mother purchased first class passage for them aboard the liner La France. When he and his wife learned of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique's policy against children dining with their parents, they exchanged their tickets for a second class passage aboard the Titanic. Laroche died in the sinking of the Titanic. His body was never recovered. His wife returned to Paris with her daughters Louise and Simonne Laroche and gave birth to their son, Joseph Lemercier Laroche.
Jean-Max Bellerive
Politician
Jean-Max Bellerive is a Haitian politician and former Prime Minister of Haiti. He resigned on 14 May 2011.
Josaphat-Robert Large
Poet
Josaphat-Robert Large is a Haitian-American poet, novelist and art critic. His novel Les terres entourées de larmes [Shore surrounded with tears] won the prestigious Prix littéraire des Caraïbes in 2003. He was nominated for the Haitian grand Literary Prize of 2004, together with Edwidge Danticat, René Depestre, Frankétienne, Gary Klang, Dany Laferrière and Leslie Manigat. Large was also one of the finalist at the Ushant' Literary Contest in 2002. He writes in both French and Haitian Creole. Josaphat-Robert Large is a member of " La Société des Gens de Lettres de France", of the "Association des Écrivains de langue française" and of the PEN Club America. Josaphat-Robert Large's work is becoming more and more important in the French literary world. The Society of French and francophone teachers of America has organized two colloquium on his literary production, one at Florida International University in 2001 and one at Fordham University in 2006. Large also participated in the famous festival Étonnants-Voyageurs in 2007 and in 2008, he was one of the author in the great literary opening organized in Port-au-Prince by the Presses Nationales d'Haiti.
Henri Namphy
Politician
Henri Namphy was a Haitian general and political figure who served as President of Haiti's interim ruling body, the National Council of Government, from February 7, 1986 to February 7, 1988. He served again as President of Haiti from June 20, 1988 until his deposition on September 17, 1988 in the September 1988 Haitian coup d'état. Following the fall of the government headed by President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier, who fled the country with his family in 1986, Lieutenant General Namphy became president of the interim governing council, made up of six civilian and military members, which promised elections and democratic reforms. His regime was given the moniker “duvalierism without Duvalier”. Namphy, who enjoyed a reputation for being honest and apolitical, had trouble in his early weeks in power; Haitians ceased their celebrations over the departure of Duvalier and started rioting and looting. In March 1986, as violence swept the capital, Port-au-Prince, the popular justice minister resigned from the ruling council and Namphy dismissed three other members who had close ties with the Duvalier regime. The new council had two other members apart from Namphy. The council had difficulty in exerting its authority because of frequent strikes and demonstrations.
Fabrice Noël
Soccer Forward
Fabrice Noël is a Haitian footballer who currently plays for San Antonio Scorpions in the North American Soccer League.
Ertha Pascal-Trouillot
Politician
Ertha Pascal-Trouillot was the provisional President of Haiti for 11 months in 1990 and 1991. She was the first woman in Haitian history to hold that office.
Jean Dominique
Journalist
Jean Léopold Dominique was a Haitian journalist who spoke out against successive dictatorships. He was one of the first people in Haiti to broadcast in Haitian Creole, the language spoken by most of the populace. Despite fleeing the country twice when his life was under threat, he continued to return to his native Haiti, firmly believing in the cause of the Haitian plight. He was assassinated on April 3, 2000, a crime for which no one has ever been prosecuted.
Silvio Cator
Olympic athlete
Sylvio or Silvio P. Cator was a Haitian athlete most successful in the long jump. Born in Cavaillon, Haiti, Cator was a footballer who played for the Trivoli Athletic Club and the Racing Club Haitien. He participated in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris in the high jump, where he finished 15th, and the long jump, where he came in 12th. In the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam he won a silver medal in the long jump. His 7.58 m effort was 16 cm short of gold. A month later, on September 9, 1928, Sylvio Cator broke Edward Hamm's two-months old world record with a 7.93 m jump at the 1924 Olympic stadium near Paris. He participated one more time in the long jump at the 1932 games in Los Angeles, where he took the 9th place. Up to the present day, his silver medal is the best result of a Haitian athlete in the Olympics, with only one further medal for the Haitian free rifle team in the 1924 Olympics. His world record long jump is still the Haitian national record and, with 79 years, the oldest standing national record in athletics. In 1946 Cator was elected Mayor of Port-au-Prince. Stade Sylvio Cator, a multi-use stadium in that city, was named for him and was finished in the year of his death in Port-au-Prince. In 1958, Haiti issued a series of seven stamps commemorating Cator's Olympic medal and world record 30 years before.
Charlemagne Péralte
Rebel
Charlemagne Masséna Péralte was a Haitian nationalist leader who opposed the US Invasion of his country in 1915. Leading guerrilla fighters called the Cacos, he posed such a challenge to the US forces in Haiti that the occupying forces had to upgrade their presence in the country. Péralte remains a highly praised Haitian hero.
Romain Genevois
Soccer
Romain Genevois is a Haitian football player, who currently plays as a defender for OGC Nice in the French First Division.
Nathalie Handal
Playwright
Nathalie Handal is an American poet and playwright of Palestinian descent.
Mechack Jérôme
Soccer Defender
Mechack Jérôme is a Haitian footballer who plays at the right-back position and currently plays for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer.
Paul Magloire
Politician
Paul Eugène Magloire was a Haïtian military ruler from 1950 to 1956. Paul Magloire was born a general's son, and joined the army himself in 1930. Quickly rising through the ranks, he became Police Chief of Port-au-Prince in 1944. In 1946 he participated in a successful coup against President Élie Lescot. When his successor, President Dumarsais Estimé, tried to extend his term of office in 1950, Magloire ousted him with the help of a local elite and took power. During Magloire's rule, Haïti became a favorite tourist spot for US and European tourists. His anti-communist position also gained favorable reception from the US government. Notably, he used revenues from the sale of coffee to repair towns, build roads, public buildings, and a dam. He also oversaw the institution of women's suffrage. Magloire was very fond of having a vivid social life, staging numerous parties, social events, and ceremonies. In 1954, when Hurricane Hazel ravaged Haïti and relief funds were stolen, Magloire's popularity fell. In 1956 there was a dispute about when his presidency would end; he fled the country amid strikes and demonstrations. When François Duvalier took the presidency, he stripped Magloire of his Haïtian citizenship.
Vincent-Marie Viénot, Count of Vaublanc
Politician
Vincent-Marie Viénot, Count of Vaublanc was a French royalist politician, writer and artist. He was a deputy for the Seine-et-Marne département in the French Legislative Assembly, served as President of the same body, and from 26 September 1815 to 7 May 1816, he was the French Minister of the Interior. His political career had him rubbing shoulders with Louis XVI, Napoleon Bonaparte, the Count of Artois, and finally Louis XVIII. He was banished and recalled four times by different regimes, never arrested, succeeding each time in regaining official favour. In a long and eventful career, he was successively a monarchist deputy during the Revolution and under the Directoire, an exile during the Terror, a deputy under Napoleon, Minister of the Interior to Louis XVIII and eventually, at the end of his political career, a simple ultra-royalist deputy. He is remembered now for the fiery eloquence of his speeches, and for his controversial reorganisation of the Académie française in 1816 while Minister of the Interior. He strongly favoured the motion for the enfranchisement of the slaves in the French colonies in America.
Florvil Hyppolite
Politician
Louis Mondestin Florvil Hyppolite was the President of Haiti from 17 October 1889 to 24 March 1896. He was a career soldier, a general. He was installed as president by a constitutional council. He was reportedly under the influence of Victoire Jean-Baptiste, mistress of his successor Tirésias Simon Sam. Hyppolite died of a heart attack while in office, on a trip to address a civilian revolt in the city of Jacmel. A tale of Haitian folklore describes how Hyppolite's hat fell off his head before arriving to Jacmel that day, something that was considered a bad omen among everyday Haitians. The incident is remembered in the Haitian children song "Panama M' Tombé", which is still sung to this day.
Guy Philippe
Rebel
Guy Philippe is a Haitian politician. When Jean-Claude Duvalier was toppled in 1986, he was 17 years old, which makes claims that he was an alleged former Tonton Macoute leader preposterous. He led the 2004 Haitian coup d'état that ousted Jean-Bertrand Aristide and he was a presidential candidate in the Haitian general election, 2006. He is currently wanted for allegedly participating in the illegal drug trade in Haiti.
Garry Conille
Politician
Dr. Garry Conille is a Haitian academic, development worker, author, and former Prime Minister of Haiti. He submitted his resignation as prime minister on 24 February 2012 and was officially succeeded by Laurent Lamothe on 16 May 2012.
Pat Fidelia
Soccer Forward
Pat Fidelia is a retired Haitian-American soccer forward who spent four seasons in the North American Soccer League, two in the American Soccer League and one in the United Soccer League. He also earned one cap playing with/for the national team.
Louis Borno
Politician
Eustache Antoine Francois Joseph Louis Borno was a lawyer and Haitian politician who served as President of Haiti from 1922 to 1930 during the period of the American occupation of Haiti. Borno was of mulatto heritage, being the son of a white French father and a black Haitian mother.
Prosper Avril
Politician
Matthieu Prosper Avril is a Haitian political figure who was President of Haiti from 1988 to 1990. A trusted member of François Duvalier's Presidential Guard and adviser to Jean-Claude Duvalier, Lt. Gen. Avril led the September 1988 Haitian coup d'état against a transition military government installed after Jean-Claude Duvalier's 1986 overthrow. He was President until March 1990, in a period which according to Amnesty International was "marred by serious human rights violations". He was arrested in 2001, but released in March 2004 after the 2004 Haitian coup d'état overthrew Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Boniface Alexandre
Politician
Boniface Alexandre is a Haïtian politician . He served as acting president of Haïti from 2004 to 2006. The 2004 Haitian coup d'état removed President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from the Americas on February 29, 2004. Following this, Alexandre, as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and therefore next in the presidential line of succession, assumed the office of president. During Alexandre's acting presidency, Amnesty International reported "excessive use of force by police officers", extrajudicial executions, a lack of investigations into these, escalation of "unlawful killings and kidnappings by illegal armed groups", failure of officials to prevent and punish violence against women, dysfunctionality of the justice system, and forty or more people imprisoned without charge or trial. Alexandre left office on May 14, 2006, when René Préval, winner of the February 2006 presidential election, was sworn in as president. He is a nephew of the country's first prime minister, Martial Célestin.
Michèle Pierre-Louis
Politician
Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis is a Haitian politician who was Prime Minister of Haiti from September 2008 to November 2009. She was Haiti's second female Prime Minister, after Claudette Werleigh, who served from 1995 to 1996. Pierre-Louis has been the Executive Director of the Knowledge and Freedom Foundation, a non-governmental organization financed by George Soros, since 1995. In June 2008 she was nominated as Prime Minister by President René Préval, after Préval's two previous nominees were rejected by the Chamber of Deputies. Her nomination was approved by the Chamber of Deputies on 17 July 2008, with 61 votes in favor, one opposed, and 20 abstentions. It was approved by the Senate on 31 July, with 12 votes in favor, 5 abstentions and none opposed. Her political programme and government still had to be approved by the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Préval announced the composition of the new government on 25 August; aside from Pierre-Louis herself, there were 17 ministers, seven of whom were retained from the previous government of Jacques-Édouard Alexis. Pierre-Louis was appointed as Minister of Justice and Public Security, in addition to serving as Prime Minister. The government was to have been installed on 26 August, but this was delayed due to the impact of Hurricane Gustav.
Élie Lescot
Politician
Antoine Louis Léocardie Élie Lescot was the President of Haiti from May 15, 1941 to January 11, 1946. He was a member of the country's light-skinned elite and used the political climate of World War II to sustain his power and ties to the United States, Haiti's powerful northern neighbor. His administration presided over a period of economic downturn and harsh political repression of dissidents.
Maurice Sixto
Man
Maurice Alfrédo Sixto was a professor, a translator, tour guide and ambassador. The son of an engineer, Maurice Alfredo Sixto and Maria Bourand, he attended St Louis de Gonzague for his secondary studies; upon graduation he attended l'Academie Militaire where he remained for only three months. He eventually studied at the Faculte de Droit from 1948–1945 while working for Radio HHBM. Sixto will be remembered in Haitian culture for his contributions to oral literature. His ability to use rich, descriptive, and iconic Haitian Creole create a narrative that displays the true face of Haitian culture. Sixto prefaces every story with Regards sur choses et gens entendu.
Pierre Nord Alexis
Politician
Pierre Nord Alexis was President of Haiti from 21 December 1902 to 2 December 1908.
Sarodj Bertin
Woman
Sarodj Bertin is best known as a beauty pageant contestant from Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Vivian Barbot
Politician
Vivian Barbot is a teacher, activist, and politician. She is a former President of the Fédération des femmes du Québec, a former Member of Parliament and former vice-president of the Bloc Québécois. She was the party's interim leader and president following the resignation of Gilles Duceppe in May 2011. Barbot was born in Saint-Marc, Haiti. She is the former Member of Parliament for the riding of Papineau. In the 2006 election, she scored a significant victory for the Bloc by defeating former Liberal Cabinet Minister Pierre Pettigrew, but was defeated two years later in the 2008 federal election by Justin Trudeau. Barbot ran against Trudeau in the 2011 election, but was once again defeated. The 2011 election also saw the defeat of Gilles Duceppe and all but four Bloc MPs. As vice-president of the party, Barbot was appointed interim party leader and president following Duceppe's resignation and remained in the position until Duceppe's successor, Daniel Paillé, was elected on December 11, 2011.
Arnold Antonin
Film Director
Arnold Antonin is a Haitian film director. Man of diverse careers, Arnold Antonin is known both inside and outside of Haiti for his social, political and cultural commitment. He was honored for lifetime achievement with the Djibril Diop Mambety award at the International Film Cannes Festival in 2002. He received the Paul Robeson African Diaspora best film award at FESPACO in Ouagadougoux in 2007 and 2009. He also received numerous awards and accolades at festivals for his documentaries and fiction movies. He was president of the Haitian Filmmakers Association from 2005 to 2009.
Patrick Dorismond
Security guard
Patrick Moses Dorismond was a security guard and father of two children who was killed by an undercover New York Police Department officer during the early morning of March 16, 2000. The undercover police officer approached Dorismond and his friend as they were standing outside the "Distinguished Wakamba Cocktail Lounge" and asked him where he and his partners could purchase marijuana. One of the officers, Anthony Vasquez, shot Patrick Dorismond in the chest during a scuffle. The officers claim the scuffle began when Dorismond became angry after they propositioned him, loudly declaring he was not a drug dealer. They state he threw a punch at a second officer and with his friend, Kevin Kaiser, began attacking him. Officer Vasquez said he came to his partner's aid, hearing one of the men yelling "Get his gun!", drew his weapon and identified himself as a police officer. He claimed Dorismond grabbed the gun causing it to discharge into his chest. Dorismond's friend, Kevin Kaiser, claims that neither of the officers identified themselves. He says he attempted unsuccessfully to pull Dorismond back from the confrontation. He described the first undercover cop who had approached Dorismond as aggressive and “in their face.” Kaiser said it was one of the cops who initiated the fight, hitting Dorismond first.
Gérard Latortue
Politician
Gérard Latortue was the Prime Minister of Haïti from March 12, 2004 to June 9, 2006. He was an official in the United Nations for many years, and briefly served as foreign minister of Haïti during the short-lived 1988 administration of Leslie Manigat. In February 2004, the country experienced a coup d'état which saw the removal and exile of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide; Breaking with the Haitian constitution a "council of the wise" was set up by the international powers to choose a new Prime Minister. Latortue was selected by the Council and appointed head of the interim government on March 9 while still living in the United States, and was sworn in on March 12. His administration was recognized by the United Nations, the United States, Canada and The European Union and denied recognition by a few governments, including the governments of Jamaica and St Kitts and Nevis, Venezuela and Cuba, as well as the African Union. Furthermore, his Government was beset with opposition from the Fanmi Lavalas political party; an ongoing flight of foreign capital and human resources; and violence by and between gangs, rebels, and militants, many of whom are either former members of the Haitian Armed Forces or street gang supporters of the Aristide government "Chimere".
Charles Rivière-Hérard
Politician
Charles Rivière-Hérard also known as Charles Hérard aîné was an officer in the Haitian Army under Alexandre Pétion during his struggles against Henri Christophe. He was declared President of Haiti on 4 April 1843. He was forced from office by revolutionaries on 3 May 1844. Charles Rivière-Hérard was born at Port-au-Prince on 16 February 1789. Little about his early life is generally known, except that he fought with the revolutionaries against the French, and that he was an officer commanding a battalion of black troops, probably later in his military career. Hérard was chief among the conspirators who ousted President Jean-Pierre Boyer during the 1843 Revolution. On 30 December of that same year, a Provisional Parliament of Haiti enacted a new Constitution, apparently without Hérard's approval. Soon afterward, General Hérard, who had the loyalty of the army, seized control of the government and declared himself President of Haiti. Soon after Hérard's rise to power, the eastern half of Haiti, known as Santo Domingo, staged a revolt. On 27 February 1844, rebels occupied the capital city of Santo Domingo and the following day declared the independence of the Dominican Republic from Haiti. Hérard responded almost immediately. Fielding an army of 25,000 soldiers on 10 March 1844, he entered the new Dominican Republic with the intent of returning the eastern half of the island to Haitian rule. He was quickly defeated, however, and within a month was forced to retreat with his army back into Haïti. Facing increasing opposition in the government and a rapidly deteriorating political situation within the country, on 30 March 1844 Hérard dissolved the new Constitution and the Parliament.
Mirlande Manigat
Politician
Mirlande Manigat is a Haitian politician and candidate in the 2010 presidential election. She is the wife of former president Leslie Manigat.
Toto Bissainthe
Singer
Marie Clotilde "Toto" Bissainthe was a Haitian actress and singer known for her innovative blend of traditional Vodou and rural themes and music with contemporary lyricism and arrangements. Born in Cap-Haitien in 1934, she left Haïti at an early age to pursue her studies abroad. Her career started in theatre with the company Griots, of which she was a founding member in 1956. Griots was at the vanguard of négritude-inspired cultural institutions in France, and was the first African theatre company in Paris. With a groundbreaking performance in 1973 at La vieille grille in Paris, Toto Bissainthe established herself as singer-songwriter-composer, stunning the audience with her soul-stirring renditions of original compositions that paid homage to the lives, struggles, miseries and spirituality of working class and rural Haïtians. An artist in exile, Toto Bissainthe will be unable to return to the Haïti that so inspired her until the departure of Jean-Claude Duvalier in 1986. However, the multiple disappointments of the unending democratic transition and political infighting would forever embitter the outspoken artist, who had long dreamed of a return to help rebuild her motherland. Saddened by Haïti's social and political degradation, Toto Bissainthe's health would enter a downward spiral ending with her death from liver damage on June 4, 1994.