Haitian Sovereignty & Exported Identity
Under the presidency of Élie Lescot, on May 5, 1941, Haiti embarked on a bold endeavor, not of conquest, but of cultural export, proclaiming to the world the treasures of…
The Crust that Binds
How manifold are the tongues that proclaim the delights of the humble, golden crust? In Haiti, it is revered as Graten; in Cuba, Cocolón; in Spain, Socarrat; in Puerto Rico,…
From Ginen to Betasyon
Rarely does the Haitian spirit incline toward the rugged creed of individualism; rather, it finds its essence in the bonds of communal life. ‘Apre Bondye se latè’—after God, the earth…
Plus ça Change…
And: Nolan’s Selina Kyle: “There’s a storm coming, Mr. Wayne. You and your friends better batten down the hatches, ‘cause when it hits, you’re all gonna wonder how you ever…
Raison d’Etre
Behind Every Mountain, more mountains. Haitians dream and create, turning struggles into strength, our histories into songs.
The Cruel Theater of Ruin
The venerable proverbs of the Haitian people, distilled from the traits and triumphs of untold generations, have never forsaken me in those decisive moments when the mot juste, like a…
The Common Wind
Reflections of the late Professor Scott upon the vast and far-reaching reverberations of the Haitian Revolution, whose shockwaves extended beyond the narrow bounds of an island to shake the very…
Breaking Haitian: A Vodou-Konbit Vision for Haiti’s Future
“Haiti has a Western veneer, with an educational system, courts and a government, but this has very little to do with the way things really work. We should stop being…
Haiti’s Path Forward: Reflections on Public Works and Nation Building
During my morning run, I saw this utility marker—a symbol of the intricate machinery of public works. If every Haitian cultivated an equal fascination with the sinews of civil order,…
Reflections on the Blank Page
Can the Haitian spirit subsist on mere words alone? Cast your minds back to the austere dominion of WordPerfect 5.1—a technological age when the labor of thought fell squarely upon…