OLLI0022 - Contours of the Haitian Past; Glimpses of the Future

Course Description

On January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by one of the deadliest earthquakes in modern history. The 7.0 magnitude quake ravaged the nation, killing an estimated 230,000 people, injuring 30,000, and leaving millions homeless. As the world mobilized to send aid and support, nearly every mention of Haiti in the press reminded readers that it was “the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80 percent of the population living below the poverty line and 54 percent of the population living in abject poverty.” A more succinct summary often referenced Haiti simply as a “failed state.” In truth, there is far more to Haiti than just instances of disaster, poverty, and suffering. Haiti today cannot be understood without knowledge of its rich and complex past. Consider that just over 200 years ago, Haiti (then known as the French colony of Saint-Domingue) was the most profitable tract of land in the world, amassing great riches from the production of sugar and the utilization of African slave labor. This course seeks to examine the story of the Haitian people’s struggle to fashion a way of life based on equality and autonomy. We will look at Haiti’s triumphs and failures from the time of the Haitian Revolution, including efforts at nation-building, instances of United States occupation and foreign intervention, political legitimacy and the dangers of autocratic regimes, and forms of artistic and cultural expression.