Where Black Rules White

Book excerpt: Hesketh Prichard, a popular Edwardian-era English travel writer, sailed to Haiti in 1899 to survey the conditions on the island, the first-ever Black-ruled republic. At the time, it was believed no white man had ventured in that mysterious and closed-off part of the world since 1803, after General Jean-Jacques Dessalines ordered the massacre of all the whites in what was then known as San Domingue. Prichard had opportunity to venture deep into Haiti's interior, unknown at the time, and was first to witness the practice of vaudoux (voodoo). He also narrowly escaped with his life, after an attempt was made to poison him. Prichard's observations, narrated in an exquisitely understated tone, cover every aspect of Haitian society in 1899, ranging from the grotesque to the tragi-comical—indeed, the reader will experience just about every emotion in the human spectrum as he devours this immensely entertaining book. More importantly, Prichard's account explains why Haiti, once one of the most prosperous colonies in the New World, is so profoundly dysfunctional today. It also implicitly explains why the current 'development' paradigm is so profoundly flawed. This annotated 2012 edition comes complete with all the original photographs, an expanded index, and a 50-page introductory essay.