1937: (Sylvain as Unofficial Diplomat — Her Transparency and Open Criticism Appearing Unpatriotic to Some Critics at Home, President Vincent Not Receptive to…

1937: (Sylvain as Unofficial Diplomat — Her Transparency and Open Criticism Appearing Unpatriotic to Some Critics at Home, President Vincent Not Receptive to Critique — In the Early 1930s Imprisoning and Threatening Exile to Critics, the Headline “In Haiti Women Have No Rights” Frustrating a President Already Dealing with Criticism for His Mild Response to the October 1937 Massacre of Hundreds of Haitians on the Haitian-Dominican Border, Yet Sylvain Seeing Herself as an Unofficial Diplomat of the Nation Emerging from US Governance — Boasting About Haiti’s 1804 Revolution and Independence and Highlighting Folklore, Her Trip an Extension of the International Work Her Parents Carried Out During Antioccupation Organizing, LFAS Women Pledging That Haitian Women’s Reality and “Voice Must Be Heard and Listened To” — So They Spoke Frankly): Sylvain’s transparency and open criticism of her country’s social order may have appeared unpatriotic and even criminal to some of her critics at home. In 1937, Sténio Vincent, former antioccupation organizer and Haitian president, was not receptive to critique. In the early 1930s he had imprisoned and threatened exile to Haitians who made comments like Sylvain’s. The headline that accompanied her interview — In Haiti, Women Have No Rights — would have frustrated a president already dealing with criticism for his mild response to the October massacre of hundreds of Haitians on the Haitian-Dominican border. Preoccupied with foreign alliances and public perceptions of his leadership, Vincent would not have welcomed additional international critique. However, Sylvain saw herself as an unofficial diplomat of the nation emerging from the occupying governance of the United States. In her public presentations, she boasted about Haiti’s revolution and independence in 1804 and highlighted folklore as one of the many gems of the country. Her trip to Montreal, while recreational, was also an extension of the international work that her mother and father carried out during their antioccupation organizing. In the postoccupation period, Sylvain and her compatriots continued to garner support for their women’s movement throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and North America. These women pledged that Haitian women’s reality and voice must be heard and listened to — so they spoke frankly. The daughter of the Apostle of Liberty understood that silence was the occupation’s preferred companion, and she refused to offer it.