A terrible earthquake anywhere in the Caribbean would have hit a sympathetic nerve in most Americans. But, as the first Black republic of the West, born when slaves overthrew White rulers, Haiti holds a unique place in the hearts of many American Blacks.
That’s why Toussaint Tabb, a college student named after the Haitian slave-turned-general who led the revolution more than 200 years ago, was jolted when he saw televised images of the devastation in Haiti.
“They looked just like any other Black people over here in America,” said Tabb, a history major at North Carolina Central University. “They’re the same people.”
“I would say it hit home harder because it was a predominantly Black country, and my name is Toussaint, and it’s Haiti,” Tabb said.
