James Fleurissaint translates 1685 Code Noir into Haitian Creole

Poet and actor James Fleurissaint has published ‘KÒD NWA 1685’, the first complete translation of the March 1685 Royal Edict into Haitian Creole. The work aims to make the historical text regarding slavery and colonial society more accessible to Creole-speaking readers.

For over three centuries, the Code Noir has been primarily studied and transmitted in French. Fleurissaint stated that it was necessary for this memory to exist in Creole, describing the document as an important step in the history of the Haitian people.

The publication coincides with legislative developments in France, where the National Assembly unanimously adopted a proposal in its first reading to repeal the Code Noir and its related provisions. The text must still undergo examination by the Senate before final promulgation.