A former slave, Jean-Jacques Dessalines (ca. 1758–October 17, 1806) played a pivotal role under the command of Toussaint L’Ouverture in the Haitian struggle for independence from France. Dessalines ruled Haiti as Emperor Jacques I for two years before he was assassinated in a coup. It is Dessalines’ legacy as a freedom fighter and a founding father that Haitians remember on this official holiday commemorating the anniversary of his death. Haitians observe the holiday by participating in street parades in the capital city of Port-au-Prince and other cities. Discuss