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The Daily - The Cost of Haiti’s Freedom

In 1791, enslaved Haitians did the seemingly impossible. They ousted their French masters and created the first free Black nation in the Americas.

But France made Haitians pay for that freedom.

A team of reporters from The New York Times looked at the extent and effect of the ensuing payments.

The Cost of Haiti’s Freedom

From New York Times, I'm Michael Babbaro. This is a daily.

In 1791, enslaved Haitians did the seemingly impossible,

ousting their French masters and founding a nation.

But France made generations of Haitians pay for that freedom in cash.

Just how much has remained a mystery until now.

Today, my colleague, Catherine Porter, on what a team of times reporters has found.

Catherine, just to begin, how and why did this project come to be?

Well, I started going to Haiti in 2010 after the earthquake, as a journalist for a different paper at that time.

And was very upset by what I saw because of the death and destruction.

And I kept going back to record the rest of the time.

And over time, I came to see that that destruction, that state of damage, was a constant there.

And at one point, I was doing a story about maternal health.

And I was in a hospital in hash and central Haiti.

And there was a 16 year old girl on a hospital bed giving a home to her.

I was in a hospital in hash and central Haiti.

And there was a 16 year old girl on a hospital bed giving birth.

And the doctor said to me, she's going to die.

We can't get her out because we have no electricity.

This is what the news should sound like. The biggest stories of our time, told by the best journalists in the world. Hosted by Michael Barbaro and Sabrina Tavernise. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, ready by 6 a.m.

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0:00.0	From New York Times, I'm Michael Babbaro. This is a daily.
0:14.0	In 1791, enslaved Haitians did the seemingly impossible,
0:20.0	ousting their French masters and founding a nation.
0:25.0	But France made generations of Haitians pay for that freedom in cash.
0:31.0	Just how much has remained a mystery until now.
0:36.0	Today, my colleague, Catherine Porter, on what a team of times reporters has found.
0:43.0	It's Friday, June 3rd.
1:00.0	Catherine, just to begin, how and why did this project come to be?
1:07.0	Well, I started going to Haiti in 2010 after the earthquake, as a journalist for a different paper at that time.
1:14.0	And was very upset by what I saw because of the death and destruction.
1:19.0	And I kept going back to record the rest of the time.
1:24.0	And over time, I came to see that that destruction, that state of damage, was a constant there.
1:31.0	It wasn't getting better.
1:33.0	And at one point, I was doing a story about maternal health.
1:36.0	And I was in a hospital in hash and central Haiti.
1:40.0	And there was a 16 year old girl on a hospital bed giving a home to her.
1:45.0	And I was like, what's the problem?
1:47.0	I was in a hospital in hash and central Haiti.
1:54.0	And there was a 16 year old girl on a hospital bed giving birth.
1:59.0	And her baby was lodged sideways.
2:02.0	And the doctor said to me, she's going to die.
2:05.0	We can't get her out because we have no electricity.
	...

The Cost of Haiti’s Freedom

The Daily

The New York Times

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