Republic of Haiti marks 221 independent years Jan. 1.

Plenty of Soup Joumou will be consumed on Jan. 1, 2025, when Haitians gather in Brooklyn to commemorate the 221st anniversary of independence.

Not only will the first day of the new year mark a new beginning for nationals, but the date signals a reason for a festive event marking the celebration of a historic triumph.

Slated to begin at 3 p.m. at 3116 Clarendon Road, a feast and festival will mark the occasion hosted by Eritye Papa Desalin (The children of Jean Jacques Dessalines).

The names of Haitian heroes Toussaint Louverture, Dutty Boukman, and Jean Jacques Dessalines will resound with gratitude.

Regardless of threats made by President-elect Donald Trump to purge nationals from the Caribbean Republic, the exalted trio will be regaled for stopping French leader Napoleon Bonaparte’s attempts to create a French empire in the Western Hemisphere.

Because the heroes also scared Britain into abolishing the capture of Africans for sale, halting the transatlantic slave trade, two centuries and almost a quarter will be time-honored.

Truth be told, Africans sold into slavery won independence for their new territory by emerging heroes of the “only successful large-scale slave revolt in modern history.”

They also established the very first independent Black state in the world.

That 1804 event still irks the sensibilities of European colonials. Among others still fuming from the victory may be America’s next president. Yearning for retribution, Trump wants vindication.

But despite constant first-day promises to deport and exile undocumented immigrants, particularly those from Black territories, many from the Black Republic are standing firm.

“We are not afraid,” Dahoud Andre, host of “Haiti: Our Revolution Continues,” a one-hour talk program aired on Saturdays on WBAI-FM, said.

Andre, in association with Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project, recently promoted the annual, promising plenty of squash soup in addition to lauding its storied history.

For the uninitiated, back in the day, only slave masters and their ilk could imbibe the delicacy. Reserved only for the elites, since the revolution, Haitians have been flaunting their victory by openly drinking pumpkin-like soup to signify their freedom from French colonial dictates.

Military parades, fireworks, and other celebratory methods usually mark the milestone in the capital city of Port-au-Prince and wherever nationals reside; however, with turmoil on the island, diasporans throughout will gather in numbers to regale.

Auld Lang Syne To A Monitor of Free & Fair Elections

Farewell to Centenarian former President Jimmy Carter. He departed peacefully at 100 on a warm December 29 in Plains, Georgia. My fondest memories of the southern Commander-in-Chief will be the year he traveled to Jamaica to oversee fair elections on that embattled island.

How he maneuvered diplomacy was textbook instruction that resonated with non-partisans.

Another memory is inscribed when he vowed to turn over the Panama Canal to its people.

My colleagues in the USAR maligned his decision.

I was elated. We argued the controversy.

Then, there was a time when Mayor Edward I. Koch and I almost disrespected each other when he said the former leader was the worst ever.

Koch and I had become friends by then; he had left office, and we often shared emails.

I recall how defiant Hizzoner became just talking about the one-term president.

I defended the former president whose legacy is now that he won a Nobel Peace Prize, is revered as a humanitarian, built houses for the poor through Habitat for Humanity, brokered a peace agreement for the Middle East, won three Grammy Awards, lived to be the oldest ex-president in history, pardoned Vietnam evaders, and is being dubbed the best ex-president in history for all the goodwill he extended after leaving the White House.

President Carter epitomized a life well lived. He was a Christian who exemplified charity, love, and dedication. His example should stand as a template for all to pattern. His legacy will endure. I pray he rests well.

Farewell To A Challenging Leap Year

Like the pandemic period of yesteryears, some of us survived the Leap Year challenges of 2024.

Although billionaires prospered then and now, the average American railed against inflationary grocery bills, healthcare, and domestic policies. A majority expressed disapproval by voting for change in government and a MAGA agenda. History shows that the national election proved historic, with Donald Trump returning to the White House after a four-year hiatus, making him the second president to win the privilege.

Needless to say, in the end, the rich seem to be the biggest winners, as it has already been proven that their bounty has increased since his reelection. Not much change is expected from Republican proposal administrators.

The hope is that time will be the healing pacifier. In other Leap Year changes, actor Denzel Washington finds salvation by baptizing his Christian faith in a Church of God ceremony.

The Academy Award and box office attraction later claimed he saw God in the sky.

Equally sobering was pop icon Beyonce‘s Christmas Day NFL halftime performance. She flaunted country swag to impress fans and skeptics. In the end, she hinted at an announcement that will be revealed on Jan. 14, 2025.

By the way, just in case this Insider did not mention the biggest news of the year — Republicans dominated the political arena, sweeping victoriously to win majorities in every aspect of government.

One last consolation is that British reggae group Steel Pulse is Slated to close out the year with a duo of concerts at Brooklyn Bowl on Dec. 30 and New Year’s Eve.

Another plus credits Tyler Perry for his enlightening tribute to the oft-forgotten women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the all-Black and all-female World War II military outfit.

Featuring actress Kerry Washington, Oprah Winfrey, Milauna Jackson, Ebony Obsidian, and other stellar celebrities, the film has been getting much kudos during its Netflix run, which began on Dec. 6, 2024.

Catch them if you can.

All the very best for 2025 and beyond.

Catch You On the Inside!