Haitian

Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, actor, and rapper. This Grammy Award-winning musician garnered national attention when his efforts to raise relief funds to aid the victims of the 2010 Haitian earthquake through his charitable organization Yéle Haiti were questioned as reports suggested that Jean retained the money for his own benefit. The organization has been the subject of controversy.

Bermane Stiverne is a Haitian-Canadian boxer who reigned as the WBC heavyweight champion for eight months between 2014 and 2015. As an amateur, he won a bronze medal in the 2003 and 2004 National Championships as well as a silver medal at the 2005 Championships. An avid fan of basketball, Stiverne supports the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association.

Jean-Jacques Dessalines was an important figure and leader of the Haitian Revolution. He went on to rule an independent Haiti, which became the first country to abolish slavery permanently. Considered one of Haiti's founding fathers, Dessalines reigned as the emperor of Haiti from 1804 until his murder in 1806. Today, he is regarded as an icon of Haitian nationalism.

Jean-Claude Duvalier was a Haitian politician. From 1971 to 1986, Duvalier served as the president of Haiti before he was removed from office by a popular uprising. During his presidency, thousands of Haitians were tortured or killed. His presidency was also marked by his notoriously lavish lifestyle, while many Haitians were left to battle poverty.

Jahking Guillory is an American rapper and actor who has been active in the entertainment industry since the mid-2010s. Beginning his career as a teenager, he played the leading role of Brandon in the film, Kicks. His role in the Netflix series On My Block also earned him much appreciation. Since then, he has appeared in many popular TV shows. 

Michel Martelly is a Haitian former politician. From 2011 to 2016, he served as the 41st president of Haiti. Also a singer and keyboardist, Michel was one of Haiti's most popular musicians for over a period of 10 years! He is renowned for his Kompa music and has released several studio albums like Anba Rad La and Tout Cé Mately.

François Duvalier was a Haitian politician. From 1957 to 1971, he served as the president of Haiti. Over the course of his political career, Duvalier's regime became despotic and totalitarian. In 1964, Duvalier declared himself President for Life and remained in power until his death. Since his demise, several books have been written about his rule in Haiti. 

Apparently, Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat, known for books such as Breath, Eyes, Memory, had begun writing to escape the bullying she faced because of her Haitian ways after she moved to the U.S. as a young girl. Although her parents wanted her to study medicine, she took up French literature.

Jean-Baptist-Point Du Sable is considered the first permanent non-Indigenous settler of the area that would later become known as Chicago, Illinois. He was of African descent and married to a Native American woman. He established a prosperous trading settlement and traded around the Great Lakes and in the Illinois Country. He is recognized as the "Founder of Chicago." 

Zach Auguste is a Greek-American basketball player who has won two Greek League titles so far. He also won a Greek Cup as well as a Slovenian Cup in 2021 and 2022, respectively. He currently plays for the Slovenia club, Cedevita Olimpija.

Born in Haiti, Samuel Dalembert later moved to Canada and then to the US. Known for his 13-year stint with NBA teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers and the Sacramento Kings, he has also been in the news for wrong reasons, such as for being suspended due to late arrival and oversleeping.

Jean Louis was a French-born costume designer who worked predominantly in Hollywood. In an illustrious Hollywood career that spanned more than four decades, Louis designed outfits for almost every Hollywood star including Rita Hayworth, Lucille Ball, and Judy Garland. Jean Louis is also credited with designing Marilyn Monroe's iconic dress worn at President John F. Kennedy's 45th birthday celebration.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide is a Haitian politician who served as the country's first democratically elected president. He was removed from office during the 2004 coup d'état and was later forced into exile. He returned to Haiti after seven years amidst rumors that blamed the US for orchestrating the coup against him. A former priest, Jean-Bertrand Aristide taught liberation theology to many.