The academic Haitian Studies Association (HSA), has been meeting annually for 23 years, hosted at different national or Caribbean universities including held in Haiti.
In early November, its 24th annual conference will convene at York College in Jamaica, Queens; its theme is “Haiti Beyond Borders: Challenges and Progress Across the Diaspora.”
“The 24th annual conference will be in New York, home to one of the largest Haitian Diaspora communities in the world,” reads this year’s program.
“The Haitian Studies Association (HSA) is itself an example of the diversity of those who study and (re) present Haiti across geographical and disciplinary boundaries.
As is well known among followers of Black histories, Haiti’s victorious revolution in 1804 resonated globally and ‘continues to be a point of departure for the study of liberation movements.’
Among HSA’s goals, its aim is to infuse scholarship with new ideas, and to make it relevant to Haitian reality and to advance to its rightful place the historical and potential contributions of Haiti to a pluralistic world.
This year’s plenary sessions target development: Rethinking Development through Tourism and Diasporic Contributions; women’s rights: Rethinking Haitian Women’s Rights; and theory: Theorizing Haitian Studies: The Way Home.
Thursday and Friday will be filled with concurrent panels. On Thursday night, a book launch event will highlight newly published books by HSA members followed by a cultural presentation. The Gala and Awards Ceremony will be held on Friday night.
The conference is open to all. For registration information. www.umb.edu/haitianstudies
Pre-conference events at York College on Nov. 8, focus on sessions for undergrad students considering further studies in the field and for graduate students, to discuss ethics in research and also to provide an opportunity to share their fields of interest.
On Monday, Nov. 12, 2012, the weekend wraps up with a post-conference, open-to-all free event. At 6:30 p.m., at The Martin E. Segal Center, CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Ave. at 34th St. in New York City, will host an evening of readings and conversation with one of Haiti’s leading writers, Gary Victor. This is The Segal Center’s second event focusing on Haitian culture; in 2010 four Haitian playwrights shared their immediate post-earthquake work.
