Commission approves Haitian American monument

Monument will commemorate the participation of Haitians in the Siege of Savannah battle during the Revolutionary War.

By Erin Rossiter,

Savannah Morning News, Georgia

A city commission has unanimously approved the concept for a Haitian American monument at Franklin Square.

Proposed by a group from North Miami, the monument will commemorate the participation of Haitians in the Siege of Savannah battle during the Revolutionary War."We are more than pleased. We are elated," said Daniel Fils-Aime, chairman of the Haitian American Historical Society.

"In history there have been so many things poorly reported for ideology. Now we are establishing the truth and it will be a benefit for the community of Savannah and of all Haitians and sisters and brothers of African decent, who share an appreciation of freedom." art work by S. Magloire

City Manager Michael Brown said the monument's proposal is significant because of the history involved and also the relationship that has formed between Savannah and Haitian Americans.

"It's a remarkable project so far and I think we are all dedicated to assist in it," Brown said.

The next step for the group will be submission of specific design plans to the Savannah-Chatham County Historic Site and Monument Commission, said Beth Reiter, the city's historic preservation officer. The commission approved the concept Thursday.Preliminary designs, also approved at the commission meeting, show a group of Haitian soldiers led by the famed drummer boy, Henry Christophe. Christophe went on to become the first king of Haiti.

"It's not going to symbolic or abstract," Fils-Aime said. "It's going to be realistic."

The monument will be a tribute the 1,500 free black Haitian volunteers, who fought as part of the French forces during the 1779 battle.

Fils-Aime, who has worked on the project for more than a year with city officials and historians, said the delegation will return to Savannah with much more specific plans about the monument.

The question of when depends on funding, he said.

The nod from the commission will help organizers raise the estimated $1 million it will take to build it, Fils-Aime said.

"When we go to Miami, we do expect that (community members) are going to start assisting us in fundraising," said Fils-Aime. "This will give us the leverage ... Now we can say to them, this is what the project is going to look like."

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