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Haiti to Harlem: Toussaint L'Ouverture & Jacob Lawrence Main Menu Jacob Lawrence: The Storyteller Paintings to Prints The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture in Print Contextualizing The Prints Curating the Exhibition Imprints and Impact Highlights the impact of the Jacob Lawrence prints in relation to both Lawrence's life and the history of global POC liberation. About the Curators Meet the Fall 2024 Curatorial Class! Select Bibliography

Toussaint L'Ouverture

46117 Toussaint L’Ouverture (1743-1803) was a general and leader of the Haitian Revolution. Born as François-Dominique Toussaint on the Breda plantation in Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), he was enslaved until he was freed at age 33. Before spearheading the revolution against slavery in Saint Domingue, Toussaint himself used enslaved laborers. When the revolution broke out in 1791, he initially allied with Spain against French rule but later switched allegiance to France and brought an end to the revolution once France abolished slavery across its empire by 1794. Between 1792-93, he adopted the surname L’Ouverture, derived from the French word for “the opening.” In 1801, L’Ouverture took over the Spanish part of the island, which had been ceded to France in 1795. His independent rule angered Napoleon Bonaparte, leading to L’Ouverture’s arrest in 1802, his detention, and death in the remote Saint de Joux fortress in France. When Napoleon began re-establishing slavery across the French empire, the Haitian Revolution began anew, ultimately resulting in Haiti’s independence from French colonial rule.

While traces of Toussaint L’Ouverture’s handwriting survive, his physical appearance is known only through representations created after the Haitian Revolution, predominantly by French authors and artists. These portrayals often exaggerated his facial features and reduced him to a racial caricature. In contrast, later artists inspired by Jacob Lawrence have increasingly highlighted L’Ouverture as a symbol of strength and individualism, embodying the fight against the dehumanizing forces of exploitation.

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Contextualizing The Prints Sibel Zandi-Sayek
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1. Toussaint L'Ouverture Toussaint L’Ouverture (1743-1803) was a general and leader of the Haitian Revolution. Born as François-Dominique Toussaint on the Breda plantation in Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), he was enslaved until he was freed at age 33. Before spearheading the revolution against slavery in Saint Domingue, Toussaint himself used enslaved laborers. When the revolution broke out in 1791, he initially allied with Spain against French rule but later switched allegiance to France and brought an end to the revolution once France abolished slavery across its empire by 1794. Between 1792-93, he adopted the surname L’Ouverture, derived from the French word for “the opening.” In 1801, L’Ouverture took over the Spanish part of the island, which had been ceded to France in 1795. His independent rule angered Napoleon Bonaparte, leading to L’Ouverture’s arrest in 1802, his detention, and death in the remote Saint de Joux fortress in France. When Napoleon began re-establishing slavery across the French empire, the Haitian Revolution began anew, ultimately resulting in Haiti’s independence from French colonial rule.
2. Haiti From 1915-1934, shortly before Jacob Lawrence began his painting series, the US military invaded and occupied Haiti under the guise of protecting foreign interests as well as humanitarian and paternalistic justifications. Nearly a century later, US involvement in Haiti remains deeply rooted with an ongoing occupation that continues to exploit the country’s wealth for the benefit of transnational corporations and foreign states. Jacob Lawrence’s print series presents a different perspective on Black power in Haiti – one grounded in the dream of a sovereign nation rather than racialized fear. Most significantly, The Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture stresses the complexities and vibrancies of the Haitian people in their enduring struggle against widespread exploitation.
3. Harlem Driven by the Great Migration (1916–1970), the Black American diaspora united brilliant minds, transforming Harlem into a hub of creativity and solidarity amid systemic discrimination. This period fueled a powerful Black art movement focused on resistance, community, and hope, known as the “Harlem Renaissance.” Established in 1925, the Schomburg Collection at the 135th Street Branch Library became a cornerstone in educating Harlemites on Black history from around the world. Artists like Langston Hughes and Augusta Savage drew inspiration from this collection, weaving global Black narratives into their work. As the first Black republic born from a successful slave revolution, Haiti resonated deeply with Harlem artists as a model of resilience and pride. Jacob Lawrence’s series on the Haitian Revolution reflects this connection, engaging Black American experiences in a broader global dialogue on anti-colonialism and racial justice.
Lawrence's L'Ouverture Anne Paxton
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1. Toussaint L'Ouverture Toussaint L’Ouverture (1743-1803) was a general and leader of the Haitian Revolution. Born as François-Dominique Toussaint on the Breda plantation in Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), he was enslaved until he was freed at age 33. Before spearheading the revolution against slavery in Saint Domingue, Toussaint himself used enslaved laborers. When the revolution broke out in 1791, he initially allied with Spain against French rule but later switched allegiance to France and brought an end to the revolution once France abolished slavery across its empire by 1794. Between 1792-93, he adopted the surname L’Ouverture, derived from the French word for “the opening.” In 1801, L’Ouverture took over the Spanish part of the island, which had been ceded to France in 1795. His independent rule angered Napoleon Bonaparte, leading to L’Ouverture’s arrest in 1802, his detention, and death in the remote Saint de Joux fortress in France. When Napoleon began re-establishing slavery across the French empire, the Haitian Revolution began anew, ultimately resulting in Haiti’s independence from French colonial rule.

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Contextualizing The Prints

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