Drawing of François Cappoix (Courtesy Photo)
NOTE: This speech is part of a Black History Month assignment at NationHouse Independent Afrikan-Centered School where young people wrote speeches as a historical figure.
Onè, greetings to all; I am here today to tell you the successful story of my past and what needs to be fixed in the present. If you didn’t know, my name is François Cappoix, I am also known as Capois Lamort. I was born in Port–De–Paix, Haiti in the year 1766. For most of my life I was a slave but when I was 27, the plantation I worked on was raided by General Jean-Jaques Dessalines and he saw the skills I had with my machete so I was recruited to his army. But as I trained more and won more battles, I earned recognition and levelled up from my ranks. Before the battle of Vertières General Jean Jaques Dessalines asked for volunteers to deliver the Haitian flag to the last standing French territory to declare Haiti’ independence, and I accepted.
On the day of the battle everyone was nervous, prideful, happy, and scared for their lives but I told them “Grenadiers a l’assaut, nan pwen manman, nan pwen papa, sa ki mouri zafè a yo.”[March forward, don’t think of your mother, don’t think of your father, those who died, died]. This was the last French territory we would have to override to be free. There was no room for slip ups caused by emotions. It was liberty or death.
While I was marching many bullets were shot at me; so many that my horse was shot, and fell right on top of me. As heavy as it was, I pushed it right off me and kept marching because if my horse was between me and my freedom that horse had to go. Luckily, I had bathed in one of Haiti’s sacred ponds for spiritual protection against the bullets; because other than that I would have been finished. Anyways, I continued to lead my troops and advance with the original Haitian flag to plant in the last French – held fort, Vertières. Due to my courageous actions, there was a moment of silence on the battlefield where the French congratulated me for my bravery.
Soon after the French agreed to evacuate the island but before leaving, they nicknamed me Capois la Mort (Capois, no fear of death) and gave me a white horse to reconcile. In 1806 when Dessalines’ assassination got to me, I headed straight to Henri Christophe but on the way, I was shot down by a firing squad ordered by Henri Christophe (which even included my brother-in-law).
Though I may be dead I live on through all the Haitians today because they are the present and future of my work; and it’s not looking too pretty right now. The Haitian government is now siding with their past colonizers for their own financial benefit and ignoring the needs of the people. Gangs are running lividly through the streets constantly kidnapping people and raping the young girls they catch. It is not safe to go to school because when it’s not the gangs kidnapping, they shoot up places and there is dangerous number of demonstrations and riots in the road. So, there are few safe places to go on the island and where they are it is either white or mafia owned. Haitians are also making deals with major Europeanized countries, signing away their land and giving these countries and companies more involvement and control over the country. But Haitians are doing nothing about it and the ones that do are being rapidly assassinated.
Though the main issue is with the Haitian government showing lack of interest in their domestic issues. But when they do decide to pay attention, they put so much focus into it that they offer a huge window for international companies and governments to set foot in Haiti. The Haitian community and government need to come together and decide how they want to split civil and political task to uphold the structure of the country. If Haitians now were reminded of the trials and tribulations that people in my time had to go through, they had better whip themselves back into shape to pay some type of homage to the effort and the lives that were sacrificed in the process. After all the work I did to assist in Haiti’ rise I’m not letting it fall again; but this is all going to start when the economy works together but for Haiti only then will our country flourish. I hope you listened to me for the country’s sake. Good luck God speed and bye bye.
François Cappoix was born in 1766 in Delaunay, Port-de-Paix, Haiti. For most of his life, he worked as a slave on a rich French plantation. François Cappoix began his military career under General E. Laveaux. Then in 1793 François Cappoix joined the resistance against slavery. While François was in the war, he fought many battles but he is most famous for the Battle of Vertières. During the battle he showed a tremendous amount of courage and strength which enabled him to plant the original Haitian flag in the last standing French territory.
The Watoto Speak! 