Jean Price-Mars
Jean Price-Mars (1876–1969) was a Haitian intellectual, diplomat, physician, and writer who is widely regarded as the father of the negritude movement in Haiti and a leading figure in Caribbean cultural nationalism. He strongly advocated for the recognition and appreciation of African heritage and Haitian popular culture, particularly the significance of Vodou and Creole traditions, which had been long dismissed by the elite. His groundbreaking 1928 book, “Ainsi parla l’oncle” (“So Spoke the Uncle”), challenged colonialist and Eurocentric views, calling for a revaluation of Haiti’s African roots and the everyday lives of its people. As a diplomat and educator, Price-Mars pushed for cultural authenticity and intellectual independence, influencing generations of Caribbean thinkers and helping lay the groundwork for broader Pan-African and anti-colonial movements.
Ainsi Parla l’Oncle (1928)
Info: Ainsi Parla l’Oncle (1928), written by Jean Price-Mars, is a groundbreaking work that challenges the cultural and intellectual dominance of European colonial values in Haiti. In this book, Price-Mars argues for the recognition and appreciation of Haitian popular culture, particularly its African heritage, including Vodou, oral traditions, and the Creole language—elements often dismissed by the Haitian elite as inferior or uncivilized. Through essays and analysis, Price-Mars criticizes the Haitian elite’s “collective bovaryism” (a term he coined to describe their desire to be culturally European), and calls for a revalorization of African cultural contributions as central to Haitian identity. The book is a foundational text in Haitian indigenism and a precursor to the broader Negritude movement, encouraging intellectual and cultural self-determination among colonized and post-colonial societies.