In 2021, Haiti and its people both in Haiti and its diaspora experienced a series of shocking events from the assassination of its head of state to Haitian migrants being racially assaulted on the US-Mexico border. This has led many international observers to the conclusion that the country and its people are in 'crisis'. In response to these events, on April 27, 2022, DCC partnered with the Africana Studies program at Rowan University to host Dr. Régine Jean-Charles, Dean's Professor of Culture and Social Justice and Director of Africana Studies at Northeastern University, who offered a talk titled Beyond Resilience: Feminism, Crossroads, and 'Crises' in Haiti.
During her talk Dr. Jean-Charles invited the audience of over 40 attendees to question how the terms "resilience" and "crisis" have been used in the context of Haiti over several decades by looking at the work of Haitian feminists from the 20th and 21st centuries. Using her book - Looking for Other Worlds - as a guide, Jean-Charles posed ethical questions about how the experience of ordinary Haitian people is shaped by race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and more.
After her talk, Dr. Jean-Charles fielded a number of questions and engaged in thoughtful conversation with attendees on the multiple narratives being imagined and created whereby "ways of looking" lay the foundation for shifting paradigms and changing perspectives. Dr. Jean-Charles also offered many significant resources and promoted several women-led community organizations based in Haiti that are helping to celebrate the initiative and ingenuity of the Haitian people.
This event was made possible with promotional support from Haitian Professionals of Philadelphia, Oficina Design, and Bisou Bisou Haiti.