Fake News vs Fascinating Facts About Haiti

In the early days of the AIDS epidemic, Haiti was labeled as a locus for the mysterious disease. In truth, the deadly virus was brought to Haiti by tourists from other countries. 

"Build Back Better" was the mantra in the aftermath of the devastating 2010 earthquake. But experts say Haiti has only just gotten back to the place they were before the disaster. Which still amounts to unteneable living conditions for most of the population living there.

Maybe you've heard the saying that Haitians are 70 percent Catholic, 30 percent Protestant and 100 percent Voodoo.

Close, but the Voodoo part is exaggerated. Despite the popular imagination, Voodoo is not the primary religion in Haiti. In fact, most Haitians (about 80 percent) are Catholic. 

That said, about half the population practices some aspect of Voodoo, so there is admittedly a significant overlap. 

Proximity to the U.S. saves Haiti from severe poverty? Nope. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world–2 out of 3 Haitians live on less than $2 per day. 

Haitian folklore is the coolest. The zombie myth originated in Haiti, and the country is home to the infamous pirate haven Tortuga.

Lambi, the Haitian preparation of conch, is a guaranteed crowd favorite at dinner.

Born of the contact between French colonialists and African slaves, Haitian Creole is emblematic of the country's rich and painful history. The Haitian idiom "Li pale franse" means "He cannot be trusted," or, translated literally, "He speaks French." 

It's true. Haiti is the only country in the world established by a successful slave rebellion. Led by former slave Toussaint l’Overture, the revolution led to the sovereign nation of Haiti beginning in 1804. This revolution was a signficant blow to the institution of slavery and shook Western notions of white superiority.