THE BILL ITSELF
HR 8081
Haitian Flag Day
1
House Resolution
2
A resolution designating May 18, 2026, as "Haitian
3
Flag Day" in the State of Florida.
5
WHEREAS, the Republic of Haiti, an island nation located in
6
the West Indies on the western third of the Island of
7
Hispaniola, declared its independence from French colonial rule
8
on January 1, 1804, following a slave revolt under the
9
leadership of Generals Toussaint L'Ouverture, Jean-Jacques
10
Dessalines, and Alexandre Pétion, becoming the first and only
11
state created from a successful slave rebellion, and
12
WHEREAS, Haiti was the first independent nation in Latin
13
America and the first postcolonial independent nation led by
14
blacks in the world, and
15
WHEREAS, observed every year on May 18, Haitian Flag Day
16
was celebrated secretly in Haiti during United States occupation
17
from 1915 to 1934 and was first celebrated in communities around
18
the world in the late 1990s, and
19
WHEREAS, the Haitian flag known today, which was officially
20
adopted in 1806 by President Alexandre Pétion, is emblazoned
21
with the country's coat of arms and the colors red and blue,
22
adopted from the flag of France, the country from which Haiti
23
gained its independence, and
24
WHEREAS, General Jean-Jacques Dessalines is regarded as the
25
designer of the Haitian flag and, according to Haitian
26
historical tradition, was known to have dramatically cut the
27
French tricolor with his saber at the May 1803 Arcahaie
28
conference, ripping away the white of the French flag to
29
symbolize an end to European influence and leaving two strips
30
that Catherine Flon then sewed back together: the blue, which
31
represented the former African slaves brought to Haiti by
32
colonial powers, and the red, which symbolized people of mixed
33
European and African descent, and
34
WHEREAS, the Haitian flag is a definitive symbol of pride
35
for the Caribbean nation, having become the second republic,
36
after the United States, to defeat a European colonial power in
37
the Americas, and
38
WHEREAS, Haitian Flag Day events are annually observed and
39
celebrated with pride and enthusiasm throughout Florida and the
40
United States, and
41
WHEREAS, as educators, authors, community leaders,
42
activists, athletes, artists, musicians, and politicians,
43
Haitians and Haitian Americans have left an indelible mark on
44
every facet of this nation's society and the world, evidenced by
45
the accomplishments of such icons as Jean Baptiste Point du
46
Sable, founder of the City of Chicago; civil rights activist
47
W.E.B. Du Bois; National Football League player Pierre Garҫon;
48
author and candidate for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2009,
49
Frankétienne; and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Nikki M.
50
James, and
51
WHEREAS, an estimated 1.2 million persons of Haitian
52
descent now reside in the United States, and more than 231,000
53
Haitian Americans live in southern Florida alone, and
54
WHEREAS, Haitian Flag Day recognizes the Haitian and
55
Haitian-American communities and acknowledges their culture and
56
heritage, which have enriched the lives of the people of this
57
state and nation, NOW, THEREFORE,
59
Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
60
Florida:
62
That May 18, 2026, is designated as "Haitian Flag Day" in
63
the State of Florida.