Revolutionaries: Catherine Flon

Catherine Flon (c. 18th century) was a prominent figure in Haitian history, known for her role in the creation of the Haitian flag. During the Haitian Revolution in 1803, she sewed together the first Haitian flag, symbolizing the nation's fight for independence from French colonial rule. Catherine’s historical significance is celebrated annually on Haitian Flag Day, commemorating the creation of the flag on May 18, 1803.

For Further Reading: 

• Catherine Flon
• The Woman who Sewed Together the Very Fabric of Our Liberty: Catherine Flon
• Flon, Catherine
• Haitian Revolution

This Black History Month, we’re talking about Revolutionaries: Black women who led struggles for liberation from violent governments, colonial rulers, and enslavers. These women had the courage to imagine radically different worlds – and used their power to try and pull those worlds into view.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more.  Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures. 

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones and Abbey Delk. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. 

Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, y'all, I'm Aaron Haynes. I'm the editor at large
for The Nineteenth News, a nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender
politics and policy. We look at where our democracy remains unfinished,
where women, people of color, and queer people are still
not included. And later this month, I'll be your host
for a brand new podcast from The Nineteenth News and
Wonder Media Network called The Amendment. More on that soon,

(00:24):
but for now, I'm excited to be your guest host
for this month of Womanica, this Black History Month, we're
talking about revolutionaries, the black women who led struggles for
liberation from violent governments, colonial rulers, and enslavers. These women
had the courage to imagine radically different worlds, and they
use their power to try and pull those worlds into view. Today,

(00:46):
we're talking about a legendary woman who resisted slavery and
colonial rule to become a heroine of Haitian independence. Her
story is woven into the fabric of Haitian culture. Please
welcome Catherine Flaunt. Catherine Flawn was likely born during the
mid eighteenth century and r Kae Haiti. At a young age,

(01:07):
Catherine discovered a love of seeing. She turned that passion
into a career and opened a sewing workshop for girls
in her hometown. She also worked as a nurse around town.
Catherine was known for both her serious demeanor and her
generosity of spirit. When help was needed, Catherine was there.
She was also known for being the god daughter and

(01:28):
assistant to Jean Jacques Dessaline, one of the founding fathers
of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of the
independent Republic of Haiti. Because Jean Jacques came to Haiti
as a slave, we can surmise that Catherine may have
been the daughter of enslaved people. During this time, Haitian
society was heavily divided by class, gender, and skin color.

(01:50):
This division caused conflicts between enslaved Haitians, mixed race people,
and the armies of British and French colonizers. These inevitably
involved into a full scale revolt. Then came seventeen ninety one,
the beginning of the Haitian Revolution. There were a few
contributing factors to the rise of the revolution. There was

(02:11):
a group of free people of African and European descent
known as Afranchie, who were fed up with the discrimination
and believed that they should be economically and socially equal
to the European colonists. There was also the brutal mistreatment
of enslaved people by slave owners. It's said that when
the revolution began, Catherine's parents fled to France, but she

(02:32):
stayed behind to fight for her homeland freedom. She wasn't
the only one. Many brave women fought in combat, worked
as nurses, trained warriors, conducted acts of espionage, and led
voodoo ceremonies to keep spirits high. Without these women, the
Haitian revolution might not have had the same kind of success.

(02:53):
After over ten years of struggle against the colonial forces,
the revolutionary groups held a three day meeting in Arkae
in May of eighteen o three. Among other agenda items,
the design of the Haitian national flag was an important
piece of business. Legend has it that on May eighteenth,
eighteen o three, Jean Jacques Dessaline took the French flag

(03:14):
and ripped out the middle white strip, leaving only the
red and blue bands to them. The white represented French
colonial power. The removal of the white band reflected Haiti's
rejection of French violence, insincerity, and dishonesty. It's believed that Catherine,
who was also in attendance, picked up the remaining red

(03:36):
and blue bands and sewed them together. This illustrated the
alliance between the blacks and the affranchies and their united
front against the French whites. And it just so happened
that red and blue in Voodoo culture symbolized love, health, energy,
and passion. As she stitched, Catherine brought together the identity

(03:57):
and history of the Haitian people. Despite her place in
Haitian independence, some historians debate whether Catherine was real. Because
the accounts of enslaved women are largely missing from archival records,
their stories and contributions to history go unnoticed. Some scholars
use this lack of tangible evidence to deny Catherine's existence entirely.

(04:19):
But whether an actual person by the name of Catherine's
Lawn existed or not, it doesn't really matter, because she
represents something much bigger. Women's participation in the Haitian revolution
and the truth of their domestic labor can be a
revolutionary act. Now. While there may be some disagreement about
Catherine amongst historians, there's none among the Haitian people. For them,

(04:42):
Catherine embodies liberation and independence, so on May eighteenth, Haitians
celebrate Flag Day. Catherine is at the center of those celebrations.
Young women often like to dresses Catherine on national holidays
and festivals. In two thousand, the Haitian government put her
portrait on the bill of Tin Gourd. They opened a
secondary school in her honor, and despite the Haitian flag

(05:05):
undergoing design changes, Catherine Flawn is always depicted seated in
a rocking chair, wearing a headscarf, sewing together the red
and blue bands of the French tricolor and creating something new.
All month, we're talking about revolutionaries. For more information, you
can find us on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica Podcast.

(05:26):
Special thanks to co creators Jenny and Liz Kaplan for
having me as a guest host. Talk to you tomorrow.