Cruising into History/Haiti 2004 Initiative Haiti Support Project

Friday, Sept. 12th, 2003

Brooklyn Borough Hall

A pilgrimige to Haiti takes shape. In the commemeration of the 200th Anniversary of the Haitian Revolution, which produced the first Black Republic in this hemisphere. The triumph of enslaved Africans over the mighty Armies of Napolean Bonaparte,

of France, at the height of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, inspired by Boukman, Toussaint L'Ouverture, Jean Jacques Dessalines, Henri Christophe and Alexandre Petion, Africans from Haiti shattered the myths of white supremacy in an era when theories of racial superiority and inferiority were achieving widespread acceptance in Europe as a rationale.for a brutal and genocidal economic enterprise, the holocaust of enslavement on the African continent and the enormously profitable trafficing in human beings.

The press conference started at the Brooklyn Borough Hall, welcomed by the office of Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, and Yvonne J. Grahem, Deputy Borough President. Haitan and Black National Anthems were played. Ms. Bev Smith, Mistress of Ceremony and radio host, introduced Danny Glover, superstar actor and Transafrica Forum Ambassador At Large, spoke about how brave the Haitan people have been in pioneering the abolishing of the slave trade, and why he is committed to participating in this pilgrimage to Haiti cruise. "I really do believe that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that should and will be backed by lovers of democracy across the United States and around the world." said Danny Glover.

The next speaker was the newly elected Consulate General of the Republic of Haiti, the Honorable Harry Fouche, who mentioned that it is important for us not to forget where we are from This will be one of the largest celebrations ever for our Bicentenial 200th Anniversary of the Haitian Revolution. We will be planning a lot of different events throughout the U.S.A., and exposing Haiti as well as his people to other people from different countries. Mr. Harry Fouche, the Consulate General, thanked everyone for having attended this historic event. The other speakers who also spoke were Mr. Wayne Thompson, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Healthcare Project, Congressman John Conyers, Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus, who said "We want George Bush and Colin Powell on this cruise, to be part of this historical moment, and sail on this pilgrimage," Susan Taylor Editor of Essence Magazine,. who also said that she is partly Caribbean, and endorses projects of this great magnitude, saluting the Haitian people on their accomplishments and their rich culture, Ms Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Associate Vice President of Product Management and Strategic Alliances, for the Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line, who said "We are very happy to work with Dr. Ron Daniels, Executive Director, Center for Constitutional Rights and Founder/Chairman of the Haiti Support Project, to bring this vision to life." Ms. Lutoff-Perlo showed a beautifully prepared video tape presentation of one of Royal Caribbean International's largest and most luxurious ships, the fabulous "Navigator of the Seas". Among the different features of the ship highlighted were its massive 15-deck architecture, its 1,750-passenger capacity, and its amazingly large variety of on-board entertainment. For more detailed information about this or any of Royal Caribbean luxurious cruise ships, log onto their website, at www.royalcaribbean.com

The last speaker was Ron Daniels, Executive Director of the Center for Consitutional Rights and Founder/Chairman of the Haiti Support Project. Mr. Daniels said he had worked on the Pilgrimage to Haiti project for the past fifteen months, to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the Haitian Revolution. Mr. Daniels mentioned that, out of the 1,750 spaces available on the cruise ship, 400 have already been taken. He had also mentioned that he has some of the most famous celebrities, who will be part of this historical cruise, including Reverend Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson, Vickie Wyans, from the Ministry Organization, Danny Glover, and many more who called to confirm. About the cruise, the date of departure is August 14th, 2004 in Miami. Enroute to Haiti, our pilgrimage will make stops at Nassau, Bahamas, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. At every port of call, there will be a welcome ceremony, and a salute to Haiti, organized by H.S.P., in conjunction with representatives of local governments and the community. After each ceremony, passengers will have an opportunity to experience the culture, take in the sights, and shop of each of these exciting islands. At the ultimate destination on August 19th, 2004, on a private peninsula in Haiti, used Royal Caribbean, H.S.P. will provide an extraordinary international Black Arts and Cultural Festival, featuring live musical and cultural performances, plays, films, and workshops focused on Haiti and the black world. For more information about this historical "cruising into history" cruise, visit their website at www.cruisingintohistory.org. For information about upcoming Haitian events and bicentenial celebrations, log onto their website at www.haitianconsulate-nyc.org.

The African American and Caribbean Section is headed by assistant editor Annette Johnson, and Liberty News Online Staff Writers contributing articles. It will cover articles about the African American and Caribbean communities throughout the U.S.A. For more information, feel free to email us at lncarib@hadofnyc.org. If you are interested in having us cover one of your events, feel free to notify us one week in advance, so we can add you to our master calendar, and have our Liberty News Staff come and write an article about your event. Feel free to email us at lnevents@hadofnyc.org, or telephone us at (718) 507-7616 between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm, and ask to speak to Annette or Steve