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Grand Rapids church celebrates Haitian Flag Day

Live music, food and performances were in order at one Grand Rapids church for a Haitian Flag Day celebration.
Credit: Laura Hartman / WZZM 13
Members of Grand Rapids West International during the morning worship service during their Haitian Flag Day celebration.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - One Grand Rapids church gave the community a chance to explore Haiti's rich culture through a Haitian Flag Day celebration.

The Grand Rapids West International Church of the Nazarene on Bristol Avenue had a day full of activities for people of all ages on Sunday, May 20. The day started with a morning worship, and then the church hosted an assortment of educational, cultural activities.

There was live performances and music, cooking demonstrations, drumming and history lessons -- all taught by prominent Haitian individuals in the community.

Haitian Flag Day was on Friday, May 18. The anniversary is celebrated by Haitian individuals because it was the day in 1803 when the first purely Haitian flag was adopted.

Credit: Laura Hartman / WZZM 13
The Haitian flag in a flower decoration.

The story of the flag is widely know in Haiti, and says that the revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines created the flag by taking the French tricolor flag and ripping out the white center. The flag was sewn back together by Dessalines god-daughter, Catherine Flon. It is said that the blue is suppose to represent Haiti's black citizens and the red represents the gens de couleur. You can learn more about the flag here.

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April Stevens is a multi-platform producer at WZZM 13. Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.

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