[Scholar Legacy Series Ep. #72] "The Struggle for Soil: Haitian Peasantry and the Seeds of Rebellion." A Continuing Conversation w/ Dr. Mimi Sheller

Welcome to another enlightening episode of the Nèg Mawon Podcast, your go-to platform for in-depth discussions that unearth the complexities of Haitian history, culture, and contemporary challenges. I'm your host, Patrick Jean-Baptiste, and today we're diving deep into a topic that is fundamental to understanding Haiti's present by exploring its past.

This episode is about the Haitian people, not their early leaders, some of whom we’ve literally turned into gods. This episode is about the moun endeyo and what remains of their legacy.

In the cacophony of hardship that reverberates through Haitian history, we find the silent echoes of their resistance—they’re the Army of Sufferers who shaped the nation in anonymity and struggle. In this episode, titled "The Struggle for Soil: Haitian Peasantry and the Seeds of Rebellion," I am immensely privileged to welcome Dr. Mimi Sheller, a beacon of scholarship and the Dean of the Global School at WPI. We're here to unravel the threads of Haitian fortitude and democratization embodied in the resistance of the moun endeyo, whose efforts and processes are seldom reflected in mainstream historical narratives.

Our conversation traverses the deep economic desperation that has led to waves of outmigration that we see today on our screens, the assertion of the gangs, filling the security vacuum  in response to the absence of the state, and the disruptions in the rural economy that have torn the fabric of traditional living that existed for hundreds of years. Haiti’s story, it seems, is likened to a war, not of arms, but of power and provision and the endless fight for positive developmental opportunities in the shadow of military might coupled with domestic and foreign interests.

Untold generations of our ancestors are buried in unvisited tombs and silenced in the historical records. But thanks to the efforts of imminent scholars like Dr. Mimi Sheller, some of them escaped the colonial archives.  Dr. Sheller takes us through the everyday lives of 19th century Haitians, revealing the voices of the Haitian peasantry manifested through resistance. We reflect on the phrase, "You Signed My Name, but Not My Feet” as Dr. Sheller dissects the layers of democratization and the struggles inherent in Haiti's fight against slavery and external powers.

We revisited the Piquet  Rebellion, spearheaded by the enigmatic, barefoot Jean Jacques Acau, who carried the mantle of the common people against the forces of the ruling class. We explore the deep roots of resistance, the African-derived collective ownership traditions, and the intricate bureaucracy entwined with land distribution, all within the context of Haiti’s revolutionary legacy—a legacy that redefined democracy and stirred the Atlantic world yet remains on the periphery of historiographical recognition.

So, sit back, tune in, and journey through time as we delve into "The Struggle for Soil: Haitian Peasantry and the Seeds of Rebellion," with the inimitable Dr. Mimi Sheller on the Nèg Mawon Podcast.