America created Haiti's terrible situation, but far-right Christians are blaming demons instead
There's a long, racist tradition of claiming that non-Christian Haitians are controlled by the devil
As Haiti’s effort to install new leadership continues to fall apart, far-right Christian activist Charlie Kirk and his co-host Jack Posobiec casually floated the novel idea that someone, perhaps China, should “colonize” the country. Neither spent even a moment reviewing Haiti’s colonial past and its centuries of being discriminated against by other countries.
And of course, neither host bothered to mention America’s violent meddling in the country’s affairs either.
But Kirk and his band of weasels are not alone in their approach to Haiti. We usually see it whenever the "crisis at the border" is discussed. Whether it’s CNN or OAN, the situation will be framed with American exceptionalism at the center. “Why wouldn’t they want to come here, we're amazing after all”. Never is it framed with American imperialism taking its due place at the core of the crisis. We are supposed to think that poverty, corruption, and violence are simply the standard for Haiti and brown people in general. “It isn’t our fault that these people simply can't govern themselves.”
Since the Haitian Revolution of 1804, when an army of freed slaves led by the brilliant Toussaint L'Ouverture successfully fought off Napoleon's war machine, Haiti has endured a series of invasions and interventions. While the young country was able to successfully repel the British, the French, and the Spanish, the Americans proved too much. We occupied the country from 1915 to 1934, when we altered Haiti’s constitution granting American companies carte blanche access to the island's resources and markets. We then backed a brutal dictatorship that lasted from 1957 to 1986. Additionally, Haiti faced two Western-supported coups against former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1991 and 2004, as well as a U.N. military intervention from 2004 to 2017.
Instead of even attempting to delve into the exploitation of Haiti, the panel of talking heads on Kirk’s podcast bandied about lurid tales of Haiti’s dark “voodoo” generally placing the blame for Haiti’s dire condition on its lack of Christian values and its “Paganism”.
This is nothing new or out of the ordinary for Christian nationalists. Historical illiteracy and an emphasis on the cultural over the material are hallmarks of the belief system and have been since the movement’s inception.
I once shared a very similar mindset to Kirk. Unlike him, I grew out of it. Also unlike Kirk, I have actually been to Haiti.
Not content to dress in all black and pantomime the Easter story on the streets of Mexico like every other youth Group In 2003, my church youth group, called The ER for “Extreme Remedy” (cool), took our mission trip to Haiti. In the following excerpt from my book "Youth Group: Coming of Age in the Church of Christian Nationalism," I delve into the journey and experiences of our trip, shedding light on my past mindset, which regrettably mirrors that of many Evangelicals today.
Perhaps on par with summer camp, at least in terms of anticipation, was the ubiquitous endeavor of every well-intended Youth Group; a mission trip. Most Youth Groups opted for a quick hop across the border to Mexico, or a sun-soaked jaunt in the Dominican Republic. Not so for the E.R. After a visiting missionary spoke to the Youth Group during “Missions Week'' our minds were set on doing something different, something dangerous. The missionary was on furlough from some war-torn country in the 10/40 window. “Imagine you're at a party and there's one fat kid in the center who everyone keeps giving candy to.” He said. “All around him are hungry kids who barely get any candy at all. If you’re holding a handful of candy, who would you give it to?” We were the candy and the fat kid Mexico. Or maybe Jesus was the candy? See, that’s the problem with parables.
Our itinerary in Haiti included painting a school, helping at an AIDS clinic, working in an orphanage, handing out solar radios that broadcast hygienic information along with Bible Passages, and converting as many “heathens” as possible. Mostly important work to be sure. Some of it important enough that maybe it should have been done by someone who wasn’t 14 years old. Except for painting that school. We painted the shit out of that school. Similar to NTM in Papua New Guinea, we were converting practicing Catholics. I personally prayed with and “converted” about 40 Haitians in the two weeks we were there. I wonder what confusion there must have been when a white kid shows up with a translator and tells them the story of Jesus, a story they all know by heart, then asks them if they want to accept “Jesus into their hearts.” The people in every hut I visited were incredibly kind and accommodating. I’m sure they simply acquiesced out of politeness. No electricity, no running water, no glass or screens in the windows of their homes or even doors, and still they all offered me something to eat or drink. Several times an old woman would order a child to go catch a chicken, so they would have something to feed me. I politely declined, saying I couldn’t stay long. Seeing the hovels in which many people lived and the lack of food and water, I felt cruel bringing only words into their homes. The Youth Group raised around $30k for the trip. It's hard not to weigh the potential benefits of simply sending that money to already established local charities against having 7 teenagers fumble around at completing tasks. I do not want to come off as overly critical or even cynical. The whole experience did dubious amounts of good and possibly some harm all while further enshrining a white savior mentality. But, I can only interpret the smiles and kind words of all the people I encountered as genuine. So many people expressed how much it meant to them to have us come from so far away simply to visit and talk.
Haiti had been experiencing terror raids by right-wing militias throughout rural regions at the time. Shortly after we left the country, there was a coup d'état that ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Depending on the source, the US either rescued or kidnapped the president then dropped him off in the Central African Republic. The signs of political upheaval were prevalent while we were in Haiti. Streets were perpetually being cleared of barricades and burning tires, gunshots could be heard in the distance. Our minds were elsewhere.
In an act of religious voyeurism, our youth pastor took us to a gathering of Haitian Mambos and Hougans at Bois-Caiman. It was quite the experience. We saw a pit full of gore where some sacrifice had recently been made. A man stood in the center furiously masturbating while covered in oily dark blood. Naturally, we all bought a couple souvenirs. Later that night, we smashed our little trinket against a rock after we convinced ourselves they were possessed by the Devil. I helped in the destruction but quietly removed my own keepsakes from the carnage. I still have my little green box with “Haiti” engraved on the top.
American Evangelicalism suffers greatly from the “white savior complex.” We’ve even bleached the savior to match our skin tone. Growing up in the church, it was my experience that white people, usually men, went to where brown and black people lived to help them become more like us. Not only to save their souls, but to essentially save them from themselves. So much was this my impression that when I first met a black missionary I assumed one of the white missionaries had brought him back from the mission field. It did not help that one of the few magazines I grew up with was put out by New Tribes Mission and was literally called Brown Gold. The magazine retained its problematic name until 2017. Our white savior was grandiose enough to block the sun from shining on any other heroes with a bit more melanin. For example, we were taught Haiti only gained its independence from white men by calling on Satan to fight for them. Toussaint Louverture's brilliant tactics and statecraft had nothing to do with leading the most successful slave revolt since Spartacus. White cultural superiority didn’t have to be taught; it was simply understood as true.
Other cultures were treated as quixotic peculiarities at best or tools of the Devil at worst. The private Christian school I attended for 6th grade in Lincoln was entirely without a single person from Mexico, or even a native Spanish speaker, yet would arrange a "Mexican Market'' once every school year. Mexican Market was a massive garage sale where kids would gather up any unwanted toys, video games, sports equipment, etc., and sell them from mats in the gymnasium. Our teachers informed us that authentic Mexican markets only sold cheap goods, so a price cap of $10 was set for any single item. We were encouraged to bargain for the lowest price like "real Mexicans." I manned the nacho booth as well as my adjacent mat. I made about $120 that day—a lot for a 6th grader. None of the earnings went to any Mexican charity or even a mission trip; we pocketed every penny. Of course, a culturally insensitive event of this magnitude would not have been complete without students, teachers, and staff wearing sombreros, ponchos, and large false mustaches.
Our White Savior complex, American Exceptionalism, and American Imperialism are triplets born in the American Revolution. While it is too much to hope that Charlie Kirk will abandon any one of them, hopefully, the rest of us can manage it.
Lance Aksamit is the author of Youth Group Coming of Age in the Church of Christian Nationalism. Pick up your copy at www.lanceaksamit.com
china could probably do them a lot of good, but monroe would turn over in his grave again.