PROPOSAL TYPE
Traditional Panel
SEEKING
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
- Seeking Additional Presenters
RELATED TOPICS
- Memory
- Public Engagement
- Social Justice
ABSTRACT
Haiti, created out of an enslaved African Rebellion in the French colony of Saint Domingue in 1804, evolved as an isolated state, rejected by neighbors fearing the propagation of seditious anti-slavery ideas. It also experienced different social or cultural entities violently competing for political and economic privileges and asserting their identities. Haiti developed a reputation as an underdeveloped, poor country marred in intractable conflicts.
The notion of historical urgency emerges in this context, as the traditional or established narrative that contends that Haiti’s situation is so dire as to be hapless needs to be challenged by new, more accurate narratives that will help reshape how partners view Haiti and interact with her.
DESCRIPTION
The historical urgency is to bring new truths to light in the face of anti-immigrant sentiments observed in the US over the past six years. They feed ignorance, lead to bad policies, and harm US social fabric and economic structure. These truths include:
The crushing impact of the 56 years of US embargo that started in 1806 with US president Jefferson on Haiti’s trade
The crushing impact of the French debts forced on Haiti to recognize its independence
The impact of bad international policies, whether from the international community or its powerful neighbor, on Haiti
A range of innovative strategies and mechanisms will be necessary to respond to the urgency. They include new academic curricula, memorialization, international cooperation, and restructured diplomatic relations.
The panel will assess the root cause of the mischaracterization of Haiti and how to roll out or combine innovative strategies, sound policies, and appropriate partnerships that will contribute to peace and development in Haiti.
The panel will share historical facts and some recent contemporary news about Haiti with the audience and discuss a series of pre-selected questions to help move the debates among panelists and with the audience. We will use a few PowerPoint slides to share images and make up for the limited time.
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly: Charlot Lucien, University of Massachusetts, [email protected]
ALL FEEDBACK AND OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY JULY 7, 2023. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.
I agree that Haitian history is an urgent matter!
I suggest widening the scope of this panel to consider how ideas Haitian public history circulates in North America/Caribbean. Some examples of panelists could be community historians who have been active in advocating for Haitians held in immigrant detention facilities (the Humanities Action Lab considered the detention of Haitian people in Guantanamo); people who are bringing to the surface the history of the impact of the Haitian Revolution in North America (such as the Haitian Monument in Savannah); the archives of Radio Haiti at Duke; and Haitian scholars who are interrogating the symbolism of the Haitian museum complex in Port-au-Prince (I’ll contact you offline with names).
Given the importance of Trouillot’s “Silencing the Past” in public history graduate curricula, it may be useful to include someone who can discuss how public historians do or don’t include the Haitian context of Trouillot himself and his work in our classes.
Good luck!
(FYI: This blog post from 2019 highlights Haiti’s role in the Napoleonic Revolution. https://ncph.org/history-at-work/archives-series-porchester-castle/)
I would love to see more topics like this addressing the US’s role in other countries especially as we near the 250th anniversary. Haiti is deserving of the opportunity to rewrite their narratives! I feel like this session will provide much food for thought.
Thank you Charlot for submitting a panel discussion to redefine the Haiti’s narrative. I agree with the other reviewers that you should widen scope of your presentation to invite more viewpoints. To celebrate and explore Haiti’s rich history and contributions as well as visit relevant issues, I would invite Haitian grassroots and communities to participate. I would reach out to the Haitian American Museum in Chicago and the Haitian Heritage Museum in Miami, FL to see if they would be interested in being on your panel. They would definitely offer diverse viewpoints on social justice and public engagement. Best to you on your conference session.
This is a fascinating topic, particularly for us that are not that familiar with Haiti’s history. I am a Latino Studies scholar and do know that the Haitian revolution definitely impacted other movements in the Caribbean. Perhaps a comparative perspective could add additinal insight. For example, how did the Haitian revolution impact Cuban and Puerto Rican independence movements?
Some great points and suggestions were made above, and I have reached out to potential contributors. About the impact of the Haitian Revolution in the Caribbean… the comparative perspective is also a good idea. Will bring it up for discussion. Jose Marti visited Haiti in 1892 & 1893, while Castro evoked the influence of the Haitian revolution (Sudhir Hazareeshing). Will bring this up.