Via Flickr
There are many conflicting stories about Francois Makandal. He could have been Muslim or a Voudou practitioner. He was known as a doctor, an herbalist, a gifted orator, or to some, the “Black Messiah.”
What’s indisputable, however, is that he organized THOUSANDS of enslaved Haitians to fight back against their oppressors!
Makandal escaped his slave masters at a young age, but rather than simply enjoy his own freedom, he made the dangerous decision to secretly organize and free his people, even at the cost of his own life.
Known as a gifted orator, enslaved people were known to travel miles to hear him speak. Stealing weapons and supplies and burning down plantations, he gathered thousands of adherents to gain power.
He expressed his ultimate vision - a complete end to white rule and the subjugation of Black people!
He used his immense knowledge of herbs and plants to concoct poisons and teach enslaved people to make them - so they could kill the masters and secure their escape.
Eventually, one of his allies was tortured into revealing his whereabouts, and he was captured. However, there were reports that he escaped his execution and survived!
Makandal’s vision of a free Haiti would come only about 30 years later, when the Haitian revolution took place! His vision, courage, and skill paved the way for Black freedom.