Kenya’s Intervention in Haiti: An interrogation of Impetus, Objectives, and Consequences (Nov. 21, 2023)

In September 2023, the United Nations Security Council voted for the deployment of military forces to combat gang violence in Haiti. The United States pledged $200 million (USD) and Kenya more than 1,000 troops from its police force.
Progressive organizations and activists in Haiti and its diasporas denounce the mission, naming it as an occupation. They argue that, since 2004, Haiti has already been under the direct political, economic, and social control of the United Nations, and more precisely the United States. Moreover they recall that  it is under U.S. tutelage that many of Haiti’s most murderous gangs formed and multiplied.

#KanallaPapKanpe: Haiti-DR Border Politics & Konbit Sovereignty (Oct. 18, 2023)

In late August of 2023, several peasant organizations came together to build a canal on the Massacre River at the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic in order to irrigate their nearby gardens and farms. After 10 years of failed negotiations with all three PHTK regimes in power, the visionaries turned to themselves to ensure their survival and development. Thousands of people and organizations in Haiti and throughout its diasporas have since answered their call to join the Konbit.
This panel features three community organizers who have been at the forefront of the canal construction project. They will clarify the history of the canal, provide updates on the construction, and contextualize the land struggles that underpin the project.

Emerging Scholars Café (Sept. 15, 2023)

The Emerging Scholars Committee would like to invite you to its next Emerging Scholars Café on september 15, 2023 at 3:00 pm East on Zoom.

We welcome Dr. France Neff, to present on the topic “Haitian Immigrant Families view of Acculturation: An interpretive phenomenological Analysis”; Dulanda Saintcyr, degree in Political Science & African American Studies on the topic “Political engagement, Black liberation”; and  Marcea T. Daiter PhD student interdisciplinary Studies:Concentration in Humanities and Culture, on the topic “Ritual, Spirituality, Modernity, and Creativity”.

The Forgotten Occupation- Online Screening and Q&A (July 29, 2023)

The Forgotten Occupation is an award-winning 2023 documentary from filmmaker Alain Martin, exploring the history of the first US Occupation of Haiti (1915-1934). The film includes appearances by scholars including Yveline Alexis, Georges Eddy Lucien and Edwidge Danticat. The event will be moderated by Alyssa Sepinwall and include a post-screening Q&A with Alain Martin and Yveline Alexis, author of the 2021 HSA Book Prize winner Haiti Fights Back.

Emerging Scholars Café (Apr. 28, 2023)

The Emerging Scholars Committee would like to invite you to our first Emerging Scholars Café of this year on April 28, 2023 at 2:00 pm EDT on Zoom.
We welcome Dr. Kapriskie Seide, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology at Davidson College, on the topic “Disability related to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti” and Pascal Dafinis Ph.D Student, Global Studies, University of Irvine, on the topic “Haitian Migration through Latin America”. We also welcome Dr. Darlene Dubuisson, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, as a commentator for this panel. Presentations will be in English and French and will be followed by a discussion in all three languages (English, Creole, French). We look forward to your attendance.

Information Forum: Helping Newcomers Find Community Support (Apr. 16, 2023)

April 16, 2023 at 5-6:30 ET
CUNY Haitian Studies Institute of Brooklyn College and the Haitian Studies Association invite you to this information forum to discuss ways to help newcomers to find various support in communities around the U.S.

Emerging Scholars Workshop: Writing Successful Abstracts (Mar. 31, 2023)

The Emerging Scholars Committee of the Haitian Studies Association (HSA) invite you to participate in our series of mentorship activities where we will reflect on key topics and issues for emerging scholars.
In March, we will discuss strategies for preparing successful abstracts for conferences or other calls for papers. Scholars from several disciplines will share reflections and tips based on their experiences.
Bring your draft abstracts for HSA’s 35th annual conference Ayiti Se Tè Glise: Im/Migration, Movement & In-Betweenness which are due April 15th, 2023.

An Island in the Chain: Haitian and Dominican Relations in the 21st Century (Jan. 12, 2023)

Traditional analyses of Haitian-Dominican relations accentuate the white supremacist anti-Black discourses and practices in the Dominican Republic that target “Haitian-looking” people. This panel will historicize Dominican state-sanctioned violence against its Black denizens by exposing its political and economic roots and the complicity of the U.S. and Haitian states. And most importantly, the panel will also showcase the resistance of organized groups on both sides of the island and their respective diasporas.

Emerging Scholars Café (Dec. 9, 2022)

The Emerging Scholars Committee would like to invite you to its last Emerging Scholars Café for the year on December 9, 2022 at 2:00 pm EDT on Zoom. 
We welcome Samantha Schifano, doctoral student at University of Buffalo, to present “Caribbean/Eco-Criticism/French Literature” and Jameson Léopold, masters student at Université de Toulouse, on the topic “The implementation of a public policy to prevent the brain drain from Haiti.” We also welcome Dr Cécile Accilien, professor at Kennesaw State University, as commentator for this panel. Presentations will be in English and French followed by a discussion in all three languages (English, Creole, French). We look forward to having you with us.

Emerging Scholars Café (Oct.14, 2022)

The Emerging Scholars Committee would like to invite you to its next Emerging Scholars Café on October 14, 2022 at 2:00 p.m./East on Zoom. We welcome Dr. Glodel Mezilas to present on the haitian crisis; Websder Corneille, degree in applied linguistics, on the topic “Coupé Cloué, ambiguïté, musique populaire” The event will take place on zoom. We also welcome Dr. Joos Vincent as commentator for this panel. Presentations will be in English an french followed by a discussion in all three languages (English, Creole, French). We look forward to having you with us.

Virtual Advocacy Training – Using your power to positively influence U.S. foreign policy (Oct. 6, 2022)

For starters—what is policy advocacy and how is it different from, and complementary to, political activism? How can you leverage your power to influence U.S. foreign policy toward Haiti? Moreover, working for justice on any issue, including through policy advocacy, is an exhausting process, as so many different issues are pressing for our time and attention. Learn how to craft an advocacy strategy that also acknowledges the need for self-care and maintaining energy for long-term, effective engagement. Attendees will come away with best practices for advocacy and a deeper understanding of various advocacy tools and how to use them.

Emerging Scholars Café (Sept. 9, 2022)

The Emerging Scholars Committee would like to invite you to its first ever Emerging Scholars Café on September 9, 2022 at 2:00 p.m./East on Zoom. We welcome Dr. Felix Jean-Louis to present on Haitian Internationalism in the Age of Global Blackness; and Willie Mack, PhD candidate in History, on the topic of Triple Minority: Haitian “Boat People,” Policing, and Mass Incarceration in New York City. The event will take place on zoom. We also welcome Dr. Kiran Jayaram as a commentator for this panel. Presentations will be in English followed by a discussion in all three languages (English, Creole, French). We look forward to having you with us.

Emerging Scholars Roundtable: Thinking Creatively through COVID (Aug. 20, 2022)

The Emerging Scholars committee of the Haitian Studies Association invite you to participate in our series of mentorship activities where we will reflect on key topics and issues for emerging scholars.

In August, we will present how scholars reclaimed their time during the pandemic, learned new skills, and created new initiatives that enhanced their personal and professional lives.  We will also discuss how to highlight new COVID talents for prospective job and research opportunities.

The moderated discussion will be in English with translation and followed by Kreyol summary between panelists.

Jean-Jacques Dessalines: The Man Who Defeated Napoleon Bonaparte (July 16/17, 2022)

The Haitian Studies Association is honored to announce a 2-part event featuring Arnold Antonin’ new film, Jean-Jacques Dessalines: The Man Who Defeated Napoleon Bonaparte. Part 1 will be a film screening on Saturday, July 16 at 1 pm PT/ 4pm ET. The film is 94 mins long in French and Kreyol (with English subtitles).

Then join us on Sunday, July 17 at 11 am PT/ 2 pm ET for an interactive conversation between Arnold Antonin and Dr. Evelyne Laurent-Perrault, from the University of California – Santa Barbara about the film.

The 2-part event would be hosted on Zoom.