1927–1934: (The Marxist Turn and Vincent’s Repression — LFAS Founders’ Friends and Family Among the Newly Minted Marxists Including Thérèse Hudicourt’s Nephe…

1927–1934: (The Marxist Turn and Vincent’s Repression — LFAS Founders’ Friends and Family Among the Newly Minted Marxists Including Thérèse Hudicourt’s Nephew Max Hudicourt and Jacques Roumain, After Helping Found La Revue Indigène Their Cofounder Normil Sylvain Dying in 1929 but the Ideas of Indigénisme Very Much Alive, Although Indigénisme Was Powerful in Discourse by 1933 Its Proponents Had Not Developed Politically Oriented Action — Hudicourt Roumain and Others Turning Toward Marxism Communism and Radical Leftist Thought Focusing on Economic Disparity, Vincent Seeing Marxist Activism as a Threat to His Liberal Nationalism — Initiating Violent Campaigns of Surveillance and Imprisonment, Roumain and Hudicourt Arrested in 1932 and Imprisoned in 1933 for Spreading Communist Propaganda): LFAS founders’ friends and family were among these newly minted Marxists, including Thérèse Hudicourt’s nephew and attorney Max Hudicourt, and noted writer and poet Jacques Roumain. In the years after Hudicourt and Roumain helped found La Revue Indigène in 1927, their cofounder and Madeleine Sylvain’s brother Normil Sylvain died in 1929. But the ideas of the indigenous literary movement that celebrated African ancestry and encouraged an intellectual renaissance studying Haitian culture, religion, and language were very much alive. Although indigénisme was powerful in discourse by 1933, its proponents had not developed any politically oriented action. Hudicourt, Roumain, and others turned toward other philosophies. Through their study of Marxism, communism, and radical leftist thought, the young intellectuals began to promote a political agenda that focused less on color and culture and more on the economic disparity within the country. They wanted to rebuild the nation by reviving the civil and economic productivity of the masses. President Vincent, however, saw Marxist activism as a threat to his liberal nationalism. To ensure his executive control, Vincent initiated violent campaigns of surveillance and imprisonment against Marxists and their sympathizers. Roumain and Hudicourt were arrested in 1932 and imprisoned in 1933 for spreading communist propaganda and planning an attack on the US occupying government. The occupation had taught Vincent something about the utility of repression — and the postoccupation president applied the lesson against his own people.