Jean Robert Cadet

Jamie emailed me a post on her hero.

Jean Robert Cadet was born in Haiti nearly 50 years ago. His mother died when he was very young and his father kept him as a secrete. He was sold as a child to be kept as a slave “Restavec”. Jean Robert slept in the kitchen on a pile of rags and was beaten, starving and had no one to turn to. His father, still alive was a white man, hence the reason for keeping Jean (who is black) a secrete. In Haiti there is a great separation between the color of ones skin. He had chores to do, always the first one to rise and the last to sleep. He slept on a pile of newspapers and rags on the kitchen floor. He didn’t always have a pair of shoes to fit him. Jean Robert was all alone.

Jean Robert had a dream through all of this. He wanted to go to school. IF he finished all his chores he was aloud to go to school which he had to walk , and not always with shoes on his feet. He couldn’t always make it but never let his dream die. Jean Robert never let his dream die and eventually ended up going to school, every day. I am proud to say that I had the honor of participating in his high school French 101 class he taught at Madeira High school in Cincinnati, Oh. Jean Robert Cadet even wrote a book, “Restavec” and is hoping to help bring awareness to and put an end to slavery in African nations. If anyone is interested in learning more about how Jean Robert overcame these horrifying obstacles I recommend you read his book, Restavec.

For all that he does, Jean Robert Cadet is my hero.