Caribbean L 6 ife, OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
From left, Guy Bocicaut, Haitian Plus; Pascale Millien-Faustin, Sosyete Koukouy;
Franketienne, Dr. Hughes St. Fort, writer and Reginald St.Fort, manager
and lbrarian, South Hollis.
Photo by Rawle Titus
Haitian cultural icon
awarded in Queens
By Rawle Titus
Visiting Haitian icon, Franketienne,
has been awarded in Queens for his role
in raising the profile of Haiti’s literature
and culture over the past few decades.
Sosyete Koukouy, a United States
b a s e d
group with
a mandate
to promote
Haitian culture,
presented
the
award to
F r a n k e -
tienne during
a special
gathering
at the Central
Library
in Jamaica
last week.
Queens’
H a i t i a n
community packed the library’s ground
floor to view some of his books and
paintings on display after listening to
his hour-long presentation on Haitian
arts and culture.
Franketienne, based in Haiti, has
painted more than 500 abstract paintings,
Members of Queens Haitian community admiring
the paintings of Franketienne. Photo by Rawle
written 15 plays in Haitian Creole
and over 60 books in French.
He has credited one of his books,
Dezafi, as having a big impact on English
Caribbean literature.
“One of my books that influences
the most is Dezafi,” declared the 2009
Nobel Prize nominee for Literature.
“It has been very famous, influencing
several Caribbean writers. It is this
book that has been translated recently
into English, but it was published first
in Haitian Creole.”
Franketienne’s presentation forms
part of activities, which include debates
and performances, around the creole
speaking world celebrating the creole
l anguage
during the
month of
October.
Regarded
as a
l e g e n d ,
the poet,
p a i n t e r ,
music ian
and former
s c h o o l
pr incipa l
continues
to deliver
about four
m o nt h l y
lectures to
colleges and universities throughout
Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
Franketienne, also a former activist,
was visiting Queens as thousands
of anti-government protesters in Haiti
continue to demand the resignation of
president Jovenel Moïse, while blaming
him for fuel shortages and worsening
inflation.
“The whole problem is the system in
Haiti…that has been very oppressive
for the last two centuries and only the
young people today, if they are conscious…
only these people can really
change the situation in Haiti,”said the
UNESCO artist for peace.
“I am too old to have a solution to
that problem.”
Titus