Spaces and Stories: Haitian Churches and Oral Histories in Chicago
Overview of Haitian Religious Traditions
Religion and spirituality are central to Haitian culture, and have always been a multifaceted set of practices, a combination of indigenous Haitian spirituality, enslaved African religious practices, and Catholicism, brought by the French colonizers. Specifically, Voudou, Catholicism and Protestantism are the central ideologies in the “fluid and plural landscape of Haitian religious history” (Richman, 2012). Despite the misconceptions about Haitian religion (specifically those of Voudou), Haitians have relied on their multidimensional spirituality as a source of strength and cultural expression across the diaspora. Issues of class (social and economic) and waves of migration and generation shape Haitian religious traditions and practices, and underlie the oral histories presented in this project.
Voudou
The majority of literature written on Haitian religious traditions unpacks the complex ideologies of Voudou. Voudou is ritualistic in nature, bridging the divide between the material and the spiritual world, and is the product of African (Yoruba) and indigenous Haitian traditions. Music, drumming, dance, and art also play important roles in Haitian Voudou practices.
Voudou promotes ideas of both personal advancement and protection. Jean Price-Mars, a Haitian scholar, was the first one to write on Voudou in 1928, making him a pioneer of the field. Similarly, Melville Herskovits, an American scholar, gained notoriety for his studies on Voudou and for sending his students to Haiti to study Voudou. One student included the famed African American dancer Katherine Dunham, who worked on a thesis about Caribbean religious traditions with a particular focus on Haiti.
The importance of Voudou to Haitian culture begins with the Haitian Revolution, which many note was sparked by a a Voudou ceremony in 1791. However, between 1804 and 1860, the Haitian government suppressed Voudou practice, largely due to its revolutionary power as seen in the original Revolution. The mulatto class, which experienced increasing wealth and power, also supported the suppression of Voudou, which was mainly practiced by the lower-class majority of black Haitians. It was not until 2003 that Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide acknowledged Voudou as a recognized religion in Haiti.
Even though Voudou had been deemed unlawful by the government for many years, Haitians continued to keep the cultural and religious practice alive. Voudou became a private, home-based practice on the island, as well as in the diaspora. Haitians living off the island kept their Voudou traditions private largely due to the negative stereotypes of the practice, many of which have their roots in the 1915-1934 U.S. Occupation of Haiti.
Catholicism
Roman Catholicism, one of the oldest Christian traditions, has played a key role in Haitian history because of the European missionaries who brought Catholicism with them to the island and reinforced its practice. The Dioceses of Santo Domingo and Concepcion de la Vega were founded on the island of Hispaniola in 1511, less than two decades after the colony of Santo Domingo was established by the Spanish. Catholicism became the official religion of Haiti from 1697 after the French took over the Western half of the island, and it remained the official religion until 1985. The Haitian dictators Francois and Jean-Claude Duvalier broke the reign of Catholicism over Haiti as the only established religion. Even though Catholicism remained the official state-sanctioned religion, Haitians have infused their own cultural worship traditions with Catholic practices since the beginning of slavery in Haiti in the late fifteenth century. As noted by scholar Leslie Desmanges, “slaves used the rituals of the Catholic church to mask their practices of their native traditions.” For example, scholars note that there is a fluidity of how Haitians think about the Lwas/Loas (spirits of Haitian voudou) and Catholic saints, since many Catholic saints have identities and attributes that match onto Lwas/Loas.
The 2010 earthquake tested people’s faith and trust in Catholicism, as many could not rationalize how their devout belief did not protect or save them from such devastation. At the same time, many Catholic NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) assisted in earthquake rescue and recovery.
Within the diaspora, the Catholic church serves important social welfare functions, and Catholic schools remain important tools for social mobility. Moreover, as scholar Regine Jackson argues, Catholicism remains an important source of respectability for Haitians within the diaspora who are seeking to establish themselves within their new homeland.
Protestant Evangelicalism
Since 1970s, there has been a rise of Protestant Evangelicalism in Latin America and the Caribbean, and this trend can be seen in Haiti as well. As a Christian tradition, Protestant Evangelicals believe that the most important aspect of the Gospel is salvation, which is offered to its believers through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. They place great importance on personal conversion or “born again” experiences and focus on the importance of strong faith. As scholar Paul Brodwin notes, Protestant Evangelicalism provides a way for its believers to “experience God,” especially through the use of lively music and exuberant worship. Protestant Evangelicalism also includes the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which is distinguished by its observance of Saturdays as their day of worship and emphasis on the imminent Second Coming of Jesus.
In 1985, Jean-Claude Duvalier recognized Protestantism as a religion in Haiti due to the rising number of Haitian converts to the religion. For those Haitians who converted to Protestantism on the mainland, they found it easy to continue their religious affiliations in the diaspora given the number of Protestant churches in the United States. Within their new communities, Evangelicalism provides solace from racial and cultural stereotypes. They also use the religious traditions to articulate feelings of loss within the diaspora and experience spiritual healing.