Join the Old Stone House, Good Wine, and Bonbon Lakay on Haitian Flag Day for a special three-part celebration commemorating the 220th anniversary of the flag of Haiti, adopted on May 18, 1803. The flag was designed by seamstress, patriot and Haitian national heroine Catherine Flon at the behest of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, a leader of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of an independent Haiti under its 1805 constitution. As the first free Black Republic in the western hemisphere, the Haitian flag became a symbolic banner and beacon of triumphant independence. And as an emblem of the Haitian Revolution, it also serves as a stimulus for exploring Haiti’s overlooked yet intertwined history with the American and French Revolutions. The symbolism and significance of the (red, blue, white…) colors of their respective flags fly amidst an enduring fight for the revolutionary promises of freedom for all people.
We’ll commemorate and celebrate our first Haitian Flag Day program in three parts, at three local spots. We’ll begin at the Old Stone House (OSH), site of the first official battle of the American revolutionary war in August 1776, with an informative welcome from Scholar-in-Residence Dylan Yeats, overview from OSH Food & Public History Educator Tonya Hopkins and readings by Artist/Performer/Artivist Tasha Dougé. Next, we’ll proceed directly across 5th Avenue (a stone’s throw away!) to Good Wine for a tasting & pairing primer with Good Wine owner & chef Heather Johnston. Last, but certainly not least, we’ll stroll a few doors down to Bonbon Lakay for a delicious culmination to this special celebration with Haitian snacks (+ food for purchase) created & curated by proprietor Edgina Désormeaux — plus a colorful custom drink demo & sampling with Tonya Hopkins in her mixology mode – utilizing clairin, the national spirit and a cultural emblem of Haiti — in conjunction with The Spirit of Haiti, the first export company to offer opportunity and support to small producers of Clairin Traditionnel — as we end the evening raising a glass to freedom!
As the Haitian flag states: “L’Union Fait La Force / Unity Creates Strength.” Join us for an enlightening, provocative and festive reflection on the continuing importance of the Haitian Revolution, and its contemporary connections to Brooklyn and beyond.
Presenters/Performers/Proprietors Include:
Edgina Désormeaux: Proprietress Extraordinaire of Bonbon Lakay, a specialty grocery store & café featuring quality Haitian goods
Tasha Dougé: Bronx-Bred Haitian-infused Artist, Performer, Artivist & Cultural Vigilante
Tonya Hopkins a.k.a. The Food Griot : Culinary Historian, Spirits Storyteller & Conjurer of Culturally-Rooted Concoctions
Heather Johnston: Chef & Owner of Good Wine: A Food Lover’s Wineshop…
Dylan Yeats, Ph.D. : Scholar-in-Residence Old Stone House of Brooklyn
