Afro-Haitian

Afro-Haitians or Black Haitians (; ) are Haitians of the African diaspora. They form the largest racial group in Haiti and together with other Afro-Caribbean groups, the largest racial group in the region.

The majority of Afro-Haitians are descendants of enslaved Africans brought to the island by Spanish Empire and French Colonial Empire to work on plantations. Since the Haitian Revolution, Afro-Haitians have been the largest racial group in the country, accounting for 95% of the population in the early 21st century. The remaining 5% of the population is made up of mixed persons (mixed African and European descent) and other minor groups (European, Arab, and Asian descent).

Haitian nationality

History

The Island of Ayiti was inhabited by the Arawak Peoples: Taino, Ciguayo and the Siboney. Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sighted the Island on 6 December 1492. He named it La Isla Española ("The Spanish Island"), later Anglicized as Hispaniola. The Spanish controlled the Island from 1492–1697. The French in took control in the Treaty of Ryswick and renamed the western portion of the island as Saint-Domingue, of what will later become known as Haiti, while the other still maintained their Spanish colony in the eastern two thirds of what later became the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo.

The French Colonial empire had many colonies in the Caribbean known as the French West Indies:
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Slavery supported their plantation economy in which Saint-Domingue was their most important. Between 1681 and 1791 the labor for these plantations was provided by an estimated 790,000 or 860,000 slaves, to produce sugar, coffee, cacao, indigo, and cotton.
The slave system in Saint-Domingue was considered brutal, with high levels of both mortality and violence.

Origins

The African people of Haiti derived from various areas, spanning from Senegal to the Congo. Most of which were brought from West Africa, with a considerable number also brought from Central Africa. Some of these groups include those from the former Kongo kingdom ( Kongo), Benin ( Ewe, Yoruba) and Togoland. Many other people trace so much of their DNA from the native people. Others in Haiti were brought from Senegal,Hall, Catherine
Review of ''The Birth of the Modern World 1780–1914: Global Connections and Comparisons''
by Christopher Bayly online at history.ac.uk, accessed 7 August 2008 Guinea (imported by the Spanish since the sixteenth century and then by the French), Sierra Leone, Windward Coast, Angola, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, and Southeast Africa (such as the Bara tribesmen of Madagascar, who were brought to Haiti in the eighteenth century).

Demography

Although Haiti averages approximately 250 people per square kilometre (650 per sq mi.), its population is concentrated most heavily in urban areas, coastal plains, and valleys. Haiti's population was about 11  million according to UN 2018 estimates, with half of the population being under 20 years old. The first formal census, taken in 1950, showed a population of 3.1 million.

According to ''The World Factbook'', 95% of Haitians are primarily of African descent; the remaining 5% of the population are mostly of mixed-race and European background, and a number of other ethnicities.

Genetics

Culture

Culture, religion and social organization are the result in Haiti of a process of syncretism between French and African traditions.

Religion

Majority

Christianity:
*Roman Catholicism:
:A majority of the population identifies as Catholic. At 66.65%, the Catholic Church holds historical and cultural significance in Haiti.
*Protestantism:
:19.07% portion of the population is Protestant, including various denominations like Baptist, Pentecostal, and Adventist.

*Independent Christians:
:7.06% of the population are Independents/ non-denominational
*Syncretism:
:Many Haitians, particularly those who identify as Catholic, also practice Vodou, a syncretic religion that blends elements of West African religions and indigenous Haitian traditions.

Minority

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Haitian Vodou and Ibo Loa

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A small minority (2.71% ) cultural practice in Haiti is originated from the African diaspora religions of Ancestor worship.
This probably originated from the synchronicities and blending of these cultures:

*Bakongo
**The entire northern area of Haiti is influenced by the practices of the Kongo, often called Rites Congo or Lemba.
**In the south, the Congo influence is called Petwo (Petro). Many loa are of Congolese origin, such as Basimbi and Lemba.
*Taíno
:The Zemi system exists through Jatibonicu Taino Tribal Nation
* Fon
* Yoruba Orisa system
*Other West and Central African nations.

=Judaism:

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A small Jewish community exists in Haiti, with a history dating back to the colonial period.

=Islam:

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There is a small Muslim community in Haiti, primarily composed of converts and descendants of former slaves.

=Bahá'í Faith:

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There is a small but growing Bahá'í community in Haiti.

Languages

Two languages are spoken in Haiti. French is taught in schools and known by about 42% of the population, but spoken by a minority of black and biracial residents, in Port-au-Prince and other cities. Haitian Creole, with roots in French, Spanish, Taino, Portuguese, English, and African languages, is a language with dialectal forms in different regions. It is spoken throughout the country, but is used extensively in rural areas.

Music and Dance

Cuisine

Notable people

* Dutherson Clerveaux
* Hannes Delcroix
* Samuel Dalembert
* Mikaël Cantave
* Wyclef
* Fabrice Noël
* Jhondly van der Meer
* Kodak Black
* Garcelle Beauvais
* Suzanne Comhaire-Sylvain
* Michel DeGraff

See also

* Marabou
* Haitian emigration
* Haitians
* Haitian Revolution
* Slavery in Haiti
* Afro-Dominicans
* Afro-Latin Americans
* Afro-Caribbean
* African diaspora
* History of West Africa
* Black people
* White Haitians
* French Haitians
* Mulatto Haitians

References and footnotes

{{Haitian people

Afro-Caribbean culture
Ethnic groups in Haiti

People of African descent
People from Saint-Domingue