MIKA CÉLICOURT GIVES HAITI’S HISTORY A VOICE

SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT HIGHLIGHT By Heather Bennett, Communications Specialist

Little Rock Christian Capstone student Mika Célicourt is a treasure in many ways. Beautiful inside and out, she possesses warmth, depth, maturity, and wisdom beyond her years. And Mika is a great storyteller. Listening to her convey every twist and turn of the Haitian Revolution with all of its colorful, courageous characters and details was like reading a book you just can’t put down. Minutes melted into an hour and beyond. I found myself wishing I could listen all day and join her on her journey digging through archives to reveal more fascinating finds.

“This work is telling the story of my country – a great subject to learn that a lot of people do not know. The Haitian Revolution is considered one of the largest and most successful revolutions in history. Haiti was the first black nation to gain their independence and more than what people often think of as a poor country or earthquake images. My goal is to create something to use as a curriculum and to be taught,” Mika explains.

Born and raised in Haiti, Mika and her family visited the U.S. every summer since she was four. Her older sister attended college here and lives in Arkansas. The last few years, shootings and rioting in Haiti worsened so, Mika’s parents felt she needed to move to the United States. They and her grandparents remained in Haiti. “I grew up in a Christian family. My grandfather was a pastor. During the pandemic, I couldn’t see my parents for more than a year. In summer 2021, I was able to go back to Haiti to see my parents and grandparents. It was so amazing to have the opportunity to see all of them.

I recently lost my grandfather, so that was the last time I saw him. My grandmother had a stroke, so she doesn’t talk like herself or remember things,” shares Mika. The Célicourts were also blessed to reunite this past Christmas in Florida.

Mika’s Capstone project conveys the story of a people’s determination to overcome differences and obstacles to win their freedom. The Haitian Revolution occurred between 1791 and 1804, but difficulties began hundreds of years before that during the time of Christopher Columbus and Spain’s enslavement of the indigenous population. Diseases, brutality, and death led to importing more slaves from the Caribbean islands and Africa. Spanish control gave way to the French and eventually the Haitian population became fragmented by skin color, gender, and class from which various revolutionary efforts ensued.

The chess game of broken allegiances and power plays inspired new languages such as Creole and strategic planning systems. The relations between various Haitian groups proved complicated, but ultimately strong leaders arose to unite populations to win freedom from France’s control.

Mika quotes one of the great Haitian revolutionary leaders, “By capturing me, you think you’ve won the battle, but my roots run deep in the earth.” Check out the rest of the story with Mika and other seniors at the Capstone Fair on May 7, 2022 in Warrior Arena.