BHI-Recommended Reads for the New Year

Begin 2024 with these BHI-recommended Books

This week, we wish everyone a Happy Haitian Independence Day from Build Health International.

On January 1, 1804, Haiti became a free republic, declaring independence from colonial ruler, France. The Haitian Revolution was the world’s only successful slave revolt, reverberating to other liberation movements.

Haitian Independence Day is celebrated annually with traditional dish, “Soup Joumou,” a delicacy previously only available to the colonists that revolution leaders enjoyed on the day of their freedom. Today, the soup symbolizes freedom, unity, and Haitian ancestry — not to mention it’s delicious! BHI staff in Haiti, the United States, and around the world enjoyed Soup Joumou.

To learn more about Haiti, its history, and its path toward liberation, we recommend the following books:

Avengers of the New World (Laurent Dubois)

The Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture (John Beard)

In Darkness (Nick Lake)

The Haitians: A Decolonial History (Jean Casimir)

Cecilia Needham serves as External Programs Coordinator at Build Health International. A recent graduate of Middlebury College, she writes about global health equity.