Monday, June 23, 2025
Haitian Flag Day, celebrated every year on May 18, is more than just a holiday in Haiti—it’s a day of pride, color, and history. Town of North Hempstead’s 10th annual Haitian Flag Day celebration in Westbury brought communities on the street filled with red and blue attire and some even wearing the Haitian flag.
Legislator Olena Nicks who represents Uniondale, joined to celebrate the independence, also in red. May 18 marks a powerful moment during Haiti’s fight for freedom.
Back in 1803, during a meeting called the Congress of Arcahaie, a leader named Jean-Jacques Dessalines did something bold. He took the French flag—blue, white, and red—and ripped out the white part. That white band, to him, symbolized European control. By removing it, and stitching the blue and red back together, he created a new flag for a new nation. The colors represented unity between Black Haitians and mixed-race Haitians. That flag became a symbol of resistance, and eventually, independence.
Today, the flag means so much more than cloth. It’s about national pride, culture, and Haiti’s long, tough journey to becoming the world’s first Black republic. On Flag Day, people flood the streets in celebration—there are parades, drums, dancers, and you can feel the energy of freedom in the air.
And the Haitian story doesn’t stop in Haiti. Take Uniondale, New York, for example. According to World Population Review, about 8.5 percent of its 35,300 residents identify as Haitian or have Haitian roots. That’s roughly 3,000 people keeping their traditions and culture alive, even far from home.
But while the culture thrives, Haiti itself still faces big challenges. The country has struggled with political chaos, poverty, and devastating natural disasters. In 2010, a massive earthquake killed more than 200,000 people. Another in 2021 killed over 2,000, damaged more than 89,000 homes, and left the country reeling again. The World Bank says Haiti has been hit by nine major natural disasters in just over a decade.
Even so, the spirit of the Haitian people is hard to shake. Haitian Flag Day is proof of that—a celebration that remembers the past while pushing forward with hope.
