Will Washington greenlight another coup in Haiti? After December’s elections, Haiti could have yet another U.S.-backed president with a weak democratic mandate.

Throughout the constancy of Haiti’s oppression and suffering runs a lesser-known and awe-inspiring constant. That is of a highly organized grassroots movement continuing the battle its enslaved ancestors began more than 200 years ago, when they revolted to create the first independent Black republic in the world. The movement is composed of organized women, peasants, clergy and laity, workers, and others. Organizing, protests, and advocacy have brought down dictators, blocked transnational companies from exploiting the land, and staved off some of the worst economic policies.