‘Tap in to the culture.’ How Haitians in Charlotte celebrate Independence Day in January

New Year’s Day has its fair share of traditions. There’s setting resolutions and goals, cleaning the whole house before the clock strikes 12 or the good luck dinner that must include black-eyed peas and collard greens.

For Haitian Americans (like yours truly), Jan. 1 was a day to celebrate independence, and Charlotte’s small, but mighty, Haitian community offers some ways to join in on the observance.

The Charlotte Haitian Professional Network, an organization focused on connecting and empowering the community, is hosting an event on Jan. 4, celebrating independence and honoring Haitian community members in Pineville, starting at 8 p.m.

One of the biggest ways to learn about any cultural celebration is through food, and Charlotte has a few offerings to choose from. Food trucks including Ms. Didi’s Caribbean Kitchen and Chateau Creole, along with Charlotte’s only brick and mortar Haitian restaurant, Lakou, will be serving up soup joumou, a squash soup filled with history.

“Food brings people together,” said Christina Bowman, part owner of Ms. Didi’s. “Haitian food is very specific and it’s very distinguished … and a lot of people haven’t been exposed to it …

“And we have to expose them to the culture. Expose them to the food. (Haiti) is such a beautiful country and the people are very amazing, prideful, smart, intelligent and capable,” Bowman said. “I think the more exposure and support that we give, the more people will know about our country.”

L’union fait la force

Over 220 years ago, Haiti became a country of firsts.

On Jan. 1, 1804, Haiti gained its independence from Napoleon Bonaparte and its French enslavers, becoming the first country to lead a successful slave rebellion.

The 13-year Haitian Revolution, led by general Toussaint L’Ouverture, paved the way for Haiti to be the first sovereign state in the Caribbean, the first Black republic in the Western Hemisphere and the only country to be created by a slave rebellion.

The victory caused many ripples throughout history on that side of the world. It led to Bonaparte selling Louisiana to the United States. It also led to centuries of oppression by France and other French allies, including the U.S. through lack of trade, restitution payments in order to be recognized as an independent country and forced occupation.

But that’s a longer story for another time. Back to the celebration.

After the successful rebellion, Haitians indulged in the things they were prohibited from, including soup joumou.

“Soup joumou has deep historical and cultural significance for us,” Bowman said. “It’s a very rich dish and it was a delicacy to the French. We were forbidden to eat this soup that we were making …

“It symbolizes freedom and resistance for us because once Haiti gained its independence, we celebrated by eating the soup,” she said. “That tradition has been passed down through generations as we just honor the struggles and the triumphs of Haitian history.”

So, what’s soup joumou?

Joumou means pumpkin in Haitian Creole. The base of the dish can be made with either calabaza squash, pumpkin or butternut squash.

And that’s where the similarities end. Every Haitian household will have a different recipe. Generally the soup is filled with vegetables including carrots, potatoes, turnips, celery and cabbage.

The soup can be made with rigatoni, vermicelli noodles or both. And some type of protein, either beef chunks or chicken seasoned with epis, a green marinade of blended parsley, scallions, thyme, celery, garlic, lime juice, vinegar, green peppers and scotch bonnet peppers.

In the end, the soup can be savory, sometimes sweet, but it always tastes like freedom.

“It’s a symbol of Haiti’s liberation,” Bowman said.

On New Year’s Eve, Bowman’s mom and owner of Ms. Didi’s, Edith Jean-Francois echoed the sentiment. In City Kitch, a commissary kitchen, Jean-Francois stood before two larger than normal aluminum pots filled with a vegan and beef soup joumou.

She usually works with larger pots for more food, love and freedom.

Cooking Haitian food, and especially soup for the new year, is how she shares her history and her Haiti’s history. Some may question why slavery is important to bring up when talking about soup — but that essence of freedom is what makes the soup different.

“It’s important to share that history,” Jean-Francois said. And sharing history, and soup joumou, is a way to keep traditions alive.

The Haitian community in NC

Charlotte and North Carolina as a whole aren’t home to many Haitian immigrants or Haitian Americans.

According to the World Population Review, about 12,265 Haitians call the state home. So for some coming to Charlotte, it can be hard to find community.

“Anybody that moves to Charlotte would see a divide because there’s just so many pockets, there’s no central location,” said Yvens Germain, one of the co-founders of the Charlotte Haitian Professional Network. “We rep our flags everywhere … but it can be hard to find.”

While there’s no enclave neighborhood that may be seen in other places like the Little Haiti’s in Miami or Brooklyn, New York, Germain and Bowman said the awareness of the Haitian culture in Charlotte is growing with more festivals and food options.

Ms. Didi’s is entering its sixth year of operations. Lakou Haitian Restaurant at 5630 N Graham St., will celebrate its second year of opening in the summer.

Germain said there are a number of Haitian catering options available, some of which could be found at the North Carolina Haitian Food Festival, which is entering its fifth year in 2025. The Charlotte event is put on by Bowman, as well as Dafney Tales-Lafortune, who co-runs Bon Fritay Haitian Food truck in the Triangle area, and Dianna Nicolas, who runs the website Burger Divas.

Bowman said the event centers on introducing North Carolinians to not just Haitian food but artists and musicians.

“We created just a platform for many Haitian businesses to get the exposure that they needed to amplify their businesses,” Bowman said. “This was our way to bridge the gap between all these different Haitian businesses and people who are looking for them and that space.”

There’s also the annual Haitian Flag Day Festival. Haitian Flag Day is on May 18 and commemorates the creation of the flag in 1803.

The festival in Charlotte is put on by the Haitian Heritage and Friends of Haiti group, a nonprofit that supports the community in Charlotte and provides on-the-ground help in Haiti.

Then there’s other organizations, including the Charlotte Haitian Professional Network, co-founded by Germain, Natasha Charles and Wendell Dominique.

Germain said the group was started to be another center for the community. It hosts networking events and offers professional development opportunities.

The network is hosting a Haitian Independence Day Soiree on Saturday, Jan. 4. It also will be recognizing several community leaders including Sabine Guerrier, founder of the Friends of Haiti group, WCNC journalist Jesse Pierre, musician and DJ Roody Thomas and organizer Mackenscy Desinord.

The event is open to everyone, and Chateau Creole will be catering the event with a big batch of soup joumou, in case you missed out on Jan. 1.

“We really want to celebrate our culture, celebrate ourselves and give recognition to those who have been here in Charlotte holding up our culture,” Germain said.

He added that the community can look forward to more events in May, which is Haitian Heritage Month.

An invitation to celebrate Haitian culture

Bowman said the Haitian community is always open for exploration.

It’s one of the reasons all of the food served at the truck is named after cities in Haiti. The Miragoane is the Haitian food staple of griot (fried pork) served with diri kole ak pwa (rice and beans) and a side of either plantains or mac and cheese bursting with peppers and spice.

There’s also the Port Au Prince poul fri, or fried chicken. And yes, that’s different from American fried chicken in that there’s no batter or breading.

On Jan. 1, most of the Haitian restaurants in the city were open, including, Lakou and Chateau Creole. Lakou, at 5630 N. Graham St. Chateau Creole was at the Food Truck Court at 5024 Sunset Road.

Jean-Francois served her soup on New Years Eve.

“Tomorrow (Jan. 1), we relax,” Jean-Francois laughed

Bowman said people shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions either. Besides learning about cultures through sampling their food, the next best way is to simply ask.

“We plastered our Haitian flag on the side of our truck so that it’s very clear, we sell Haitian food,” Bowman laughed. “This is Haitian food. These are our flavors. This is what we do. You may not know us, but here we are. Tap into the culture. Go to a Haitian food truck. Go listen to Haitian music and see how it makes you feel.”