Haiti is not a footnote to the history of the Americas. It is one of its founding chapters. To understand the promise, contradictions, and unfinished work of democracy in the United States and throughout the Western Hemisphere, we must take Haiti seriously, not merely as an object of historical inquiry, but as an indispensable partner in shaping the democratic future of the Americas.

To understand the promise, contradictions, and unfinished work of democracy in the Americas, we must take Haiti seriously.

The right to live in safety, freedom, and dignity is not the privilege of any single nation, culture, religion, or race. Freedom, democracy, and human rights are not the property of any country; no society possesses a monopoly on these ideals. They are universal principles that transcend borders and belong to the entire human family.