Happy Haitian Flag Day

Today, Haitians across the world are celebrating Jounen Drapo Ayisyen — Haitian Flag Day. On this date in 1803, revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines tore the white band from the French tricolor, and his goddaughter Catherine Flon sewed together the blue and red into a flag that would become the symbol of the first free Black republic on Earth.

For those of us learning Haitian Creole, Flag Day is more than a history lesson. It's a window into the soul of a language — one that carries centuries of resistance, pride, and community in every syllable.