Haiti: The Aftershocks of History (Metropolitan Books, 2011)
Laurent Dubois
Marcello Lotti Professor of Romance Studies and History, Duke University
- Drogbacité May 22, 2012
- Football as Humanity: Zambia 2012 February 13, 2012
- Why SCAF Is To Blame February 3, 2012
- The Ultras, the Military, and the Revolution February 2, 2012
- Something Is Happening: Notes on the First Two Months of Occupy November 22, 2011
- “Why Always Me?” October 24, 2011
- Why English Football Will Adopt the NFL’s Rooney Rule October 11, 2011
- Women and Children First September 22, 2011
- Viktwa! September 7, 2011
- The Blues in Bucharest September 7, 2011
Dr. DuBois,
I had been under the impression that Bill Clinton had a burning interest in and deep involvement in “reforming” Haiti and recall one interview in which he said, with some passion, that things were turning around before the earthquake. Yet Clinton only gets a couple of mentions in Aftershocks. What is the truth? What was Clinton involved in down there and was it doing any good?
Thank you,
Larry Hojo
By: Larry Hojo on March 12, 2012
at 2:15 pm
Dear Mr. Dubois,
I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to you. After and during the reading of your book, “Haiti:The Aftershocks of History”, I have been given something that I thought I would never have in this life.
I have on my own tried to free myself from the chains of self hatred and shame that was forced upon me by my own countrymen who always spoke of themselves in negative terms, the mythical readings of Haitians history, and of course the constant negative news on Haiti. With terms such as “We are a cursed people”, “Haiti means haïr”, “You can’t trust Haitians”, how could a child be expected to have any self respect or anything other then shame concerning his identity. I tried on my own by reading books about Haiti to rid myself of these shackles of shame, but all the negative press added to hearing Haitians speak mostly badly about Haitians did not help at all until your book. Now, for the first time in my life, I want to say that I am Haitian without feeling that I need to run under a rock after identifying myself. Also, when I travel to other countries, I wish I still had my Haitian passport. I am not talking about over-inflated pride. I am talking about the simple sense of being at ease in my identity. I am happy to hear Haitians speaking Haitian rather than in my mind wishing that they would speak any language but that. I am Haitian and proud to be a descendant of those extraordinary slaves.
Thank you
Irnst Norgaisse,
NYC
By: Irnst Norgaisse on April 19, 2012
at 9:10 pm
Dear Mr. Norgaisse: You honor me with this message. I’m very pleased that the book has helped you connect with Haiti’s history in this way. There is indeed so much simple negativity and stereotype in circulation both outside Haiti and — as you point out — within it, as well as certain idealized versions of history the provide little way of grappling with the true complexity of the country’s past and present. Thank you so very much for writing — it is a very gratifying thing for me to hear. I wish you the best,
Laurent Dubois
By: duboisl on April 19, 2012
at 9:39 pm
Dear Larry: Clinton has indeed been quite involved — he ordered the 1994 occupation, and more recently co-chaired the Interim Haitian Reconstruction Committee. His involvement is definitely important and continues to be, and he is a relatively rarity among U.S. politicians in that he does have a long involvement with Haiti and a good understanding of the country I think. The question of the impact of his contributions is, like much in recent Haitian history, the subject of a great deal of controversy, and many feel that ultimately the Reconstruction commission did not do all that it should or could have under his leadership — though of course it also faced tremendous structural and political difficulties in pursuing it’s work. There is a book by Philippe Girard called “Clinton in Haiti” that explores his role in the 1990s in great detail, if you are interested in learning more — my own book was heavily tilted towards narrating the long sweep of Haitian history and I don’t provide as much deal about the last few decades.
By: duboisl on April 19, 2012
at 9:43 pm
Greetings Dr. Dubois,
There is not much (and sometimes conflicting) information about Boukman’s origins and personal history before 1791. I have made a start in researching his life. I would be very grateful for any information or references you could provide. Thank you for your consideration.
By: Michael Shunney on March 8, 2012
at 5:02 am
Hello Michael: There are details about Boukman in my earlier history of the Haitian Revolution (Avengers of the New World) and also in Carolyn Fick’s The Making of Haiti and in writings by David Geggus, notably his Haitian Revolutionary Studies, though there are still many unanswered questions and indeed extremely little is known, beyond some broad suppositions (i.e. that he may have been from the British Caribbean, that his name (perhaps a version of “man of the book”) could suggested an Islamic origin). His time as a leader of the revolution was also quite brief, as he died early in the insurrection, which is one reason we don’t know as much about him as well.
By: duboisl on April 19, 2012
at 9:45 pm
Thank you Dr. Dubois: I do have your book, Avengers of the New World as well as Slave Revolution in the Caribbean and A Colony of Citizens, Haitian Revolutionary Studies by David Geggus and several others that are referenced in my master reference, Robert Lawless’s Haiti, A Research Handbook. I do follow Bob Corbett’s blog as well.
I have recently read some very engaging work by Sylviane Diouf in her “Servants of Allah”, detailing the transportation of large numbers of African Muslims to the Caribbean, as well, and she does mention Boukman in her book.
There was an article in 2009 in the Stockholm Review of Latin American Studies by Markel Thylefors about the “Bwa Kayiman” ceremony that reiterates the debate about the very existence of that ceremony, referencing Dalmas, Geggus and Hoffman. He aslo, of course, references your work in Avengers in his article.
For more current events I’ve read Paul Farmer’s works and others and I am aware of the work of the SOA Watch group.
If you discover any new threads to Boukman I would love to hear about them. Sincerely, Mike Shunney
By: Michael Shunney on April 20, 2012
at 2:09 am
Thank you so much for writing Haiti:The Aftershocks of History. I have been obsessed with Haiti for a little over a year now & am relieved that someone is mature enough to write a book about it like this.
By: BrockRhodes on March 5, 2012
at 6:27 pm
Thank you for your comment: I’ve very glad you found the book useful!
By: duboisl on March 5, 2012
at 10:46 pm
I read and enjoyed your book: “Haiti: THe Aftershocks of History,” and was left wondering, is there anything concerned people CAN do to help Haiti? After reading “Aftershocks,” I was left with the impression that the kindest thing we can do is to leave the country alone as past help by other countries and NGOs has only made things much, much worse.
By: Larry Hojo on March 4, 2012
at 6:34 pm
Dear Larry: Thanks for your comment. I think there is plenty that people can do to collaborate with Haitians in confronting current challenges. It has to start with really listening, though, and trying as much as possible to think from a perspective rooted in an understanding of Haiti’s history, culture, and language. But there are definitely individuals and groups who are doing that in different ways. We do need to be lucid about the ways in which sometimes well-meaning efforts ultimately don’t help or even backfire, though. Learning from mistakes, and keeping an open mind and ear, is the key.
By: duboisl on March 5, 2012
at 10:48 pm
i heard your jan. 23 interview on wnyc. also, i have been following haiti’s problems for some time now dating back to when i first heard that haitian women were paid slave wages to sew up major league baseballs sold by rawlings. isn’t it true that a large part of modern haiti’s problems are caused by the u.s. government running interference for it’s business constituents? haiti especially is viewed as a benchmark country against which all western hemisphere labor is measured. that’s why u.s. companies are especially interested in ensuring that haitians’ wages in the manufacturing sector remain the lowest in the hempisphere. when mr. aristide proposed raising the minimum wage to a livable standard he was pressured by the u.s. government through the embassy to back off. the u.s. and france were behind his exile in africa and the u.s. continues to place roadblocks in his path back to power despite his overwhelming popularity. it’s obvious to me that if you would follow the money, you would draw an extremely accurate picture of haiti’s plight. that is what should be emphasized.
By: rich korn on January 24, 2012
at 5:36 am
Hello Laurent,
I have read only the fine NY Times article about your thoughts and experience in Haiti. I couldn’t agree more with the idea that the country needs more small ag, small employ and almost everything non-corporate and non-big… like the old days. I spent many days on trips to all parts of the country during Baby Doc. i almost built a home in Jacmel. I love Haiti. Can you advise me which small organization that fulfills your ideas you could recommend so that I could send some small money? I have waited for somebody like you to start my donations.
Rick Hirsch
By: Rick Hirsch on January 11, 2012
at 9:57 pm
Thanks for your message, Rick! Actually since writing the article I’ve been in touch with a number of organizations that strike me as doing useful work in this area, including Heifer International, which is launching new projects in Haiti, a reforestation project with a long history in Haiti, CODEP (http://haitifundinc.org/) and the Haitian Diaspora Federation who have an interesting project called Lakou Haiti. I’m hoping to learn more about all these projects and perhaps get a chance to visit to learn more, but I was impressed by what I’ve learned about their approaches. I hope that helps!
By: duboisl on March 5, 2012
at 10:53 pm
Dr Dubois,
I had the pleasure of hearing you speak when I was taking a course with Aims McGuinness at MSU back in the 1990s. What a treat to read an article with your byline in the New York Times yesterday, particularly your mention of the positive economic role women can –and do– play in the marketplace.
Thank you for all your thoughtful work and congratulations on having it highlighted in the Times.
By: Jessamyn Ressler-Maerlender on January 10, 2012
at 12:46 pm
Dear Jessamyn: Thanks for your note! I’m glad you enjoyed the piece and hope you are doing well. Nice to hear from a former MSU student!
By: duboisl on March 5, 2012
at 10:54 pm
Mr. Dubois,
I posted your New York Times article on Haiti on Dallas Digest, a spirited discussion board in Texas. One of the respondents to the post is fixated on your reference to Haiti being for most of the 19th century “a site of agricultural innovation, productivity and economic success.” I further agitated the gentleman by calling Haiti “a once prosperous nation” in the thread’s title.
I thought that perhaps you might want to read the thread at http://www.dallasdigestforum.com/forum2/92675.html and respond to the poster’s doubts about Haiti’s economic viability in the 19th century.
Thanks,
Bob Of Burleson
By: Bob Of Burleson on January 9, 2012
at 11:06 pm
Dear Bob: My apologies for taking so long to respond to your comment! I assume this debate has long ago taken it’s course, but I appreciate you posting the piece. It’s true that it’s very difficult for many people to accept that Haiti has, at times, been successful — but I think that’s more for ideological reasons than empirical ones.
By: duboisl on March 5, 2012
at 10:55 pm
Professor,
I am currenlty researching the history of Guadeloupe during the French revolution of 1794. I tried to access your article in the W&M quarterly of 1999 but it seems impossible to download as the only site that allows it will not recognise my UK Zip/Postal code!!
I am acting my own behalf and that of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich London.
In the Museum is the guillotine blade attributed to Victor Hugues which he is said to have used to execute at least 50 aristorcrats and which was apparently liberated by a British naval captain – Scott of HMS Rose. However my current research tends to contadict the possibility as Rose sank off Jamaica in July 1794 and Scott had on only been in command for a few months. However in my travels one often hears ‘Guadelopue and Martinique dislike each other as the guillotine never reached Martinique.’
Any information as to how the blade was used and ended up in British hands would be extremely useful as would access to your article on Hugues.
Regards
Larry Jeram-Croft Cdr RN Retd
By: Larry Jeram-Croft on January 5, 2012
at 8:57 pm
Hello Larry! My apologies for taking so long to respond! If you want to contact me via email (laurent.dubois@duke.edu) I’ll happily send you a pdf of my article on Hugues; I also write in great detail about his regime in my book A Colony of Citizens: Revolution and Slave Emancipation in the French Caribbean, 1787-1804. The story of the guillotine you provide lines up well with what transcribed in 1794, when Hugues — armed with the recent abolition of slavery by the French National Convention — re-conquered Guadeloupe from the British, and executed many French planters who had joined the British forces. More puzzling to me is the issue of when the guillotine would have been “liberated” — since the British didn’t re-take Guadeloupe, though they did keep control of Martinique throughout the period. One possibility might be that this was actually used in St. Lucia, which the French briefly took over but then lost to the British. Do get in touch if you’d like to share other ideas about this!
By: duboisl on March 6, 2012
at 1:21 am
Hi Mr Dubois,
I am a Scottish High School student and am just writing to tell you how much I enjoyed ‘Soccer Empire’. I have used some of the information from it to help write one of my folio pieces on whether or not the 1998 victory helped improve race relations in the country. I was just wanting to thank you for all the knowledge I gained from it but also for inspiring me to write something different than yet another L’étranger essay.
I particularly enjoyed reading about Lilian Thuram who seems like an extremely intelligent and influential character.
Thanks a lot,
Greg
By: Greg Ward on November 27, 2011
at 11:21 pm
Thank you, Greg! That is really great to hear — I’m glad the book was useful. Thuram is indeed a remarkable figure, and one of my big goals in the book was to narrate and analyze his role over the years. If you are interested, I regularly write about French football at my “Soccer Politics” blog (you can see a link on this page), and there is also additional material there written by Duke students about the intersections between politics and football in a number of places, including Scotland!
By: duboisl on November 28, 2011
at 12:16 am
Hello Dr. Dubois,
First things first, I would like to find out whether you are related to the “Dubois” in “Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution.” I have been reading this book for two days without doing anything else. I can not put it down.
I want to say thanks for your comprehensive work on the subject.
Do you have any idea why the officers who found the bottomless box of Toussaint Louverture’s letters decided to reduce them to ashes and throw them to the ocean instead of keeping them?
Please respond by thinking about the rumors of Pauline Leclerc’s promiscuity and seduction of the French and Indigenous officers.
By: FreeFrenchandHaitianCreolePress on August 21, 2011
at 11:42 pm
Hello! Thank for you the kind words about the book. I think the officers did destroy those letters precisely out of a concern of how they might expose certain relationships and implicate certain women, perhaps even Pauline. Madison Smartt Bell uses the incident to great effect in his All Soul’s Rising!
Thanks for writing.
By: duboisl on September 17, 2011
at 12:23 pm
Dear Professor Dubois,
I have decided to dedicate a unit of my world history course next year to the Haitian Revolution and discussions of the problems afflicting Haiti today. I’m currently reading your book – Avengers of the New World- which I have been enjoying tremendously and I wonder if you know of any contemporary memoirs that reflect about the recent past in Haiti? I’m looking at the possibility of assigning memoirs to my students so any suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated since I’m not at all an expert in the field.
Cheers,
Alexandra
By: Alexandra on June 21, 2011
at 8:02 pm
Dear Alexandra: Glad to hear the book is useful! At the top of my list for contemporary memoirs is the stunning and searing book by Edwidge Danticat, Brother I’m Dying. It manages to tell the story of the past few decades in both Haiti and the U.S. through a particularly vivid and moving family story.
Another book that I frequently use in teaching is Karen McCarthy Brown’s Mama Lola, not precisely a memoir but an ethnography of Vodou practice, that is imaginatively constructed in chapters that alternative between fictional reconstruction and anthropological analysis.
There are many others, of course, but hopefully those can be a good start!
By: duboisl on June 23, 2011
at 3:08 am
Bonjour Professeur,
C’est une bonne pub
http://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2011/05/17/les-quotas-dans-le-football-miroir-de-la-france-post-coloniale_1523301_3232.html
Cordialement,
Andy
By: Andy on May 17, 2011
at 2:44 pm
Merci, Andy. Je ne l’avais pas vu. Philippe Bernard fait, comme d’habitude, une bonne analyse!
By: duboisl on May 17, 2011
at 3:36 pm
Hi Laurent,
Absolutely loved “Soccer Empire,” so well thought out and a delightful read as well.
I’m currently working on a book about how the game has changed in the past twenty years. It just touches briefly on some of the French team’s travails since the highs of France 98; I wonder if I could ask you a couple questions particularly about the latest scandal, the FFF “ethnic quota” proposal?
Thanks & regards,
Shona Black
(ps I think we may have met at Terrace Club back in the day…)
By: Shona Black on May 3, 2011
at 5:23 pm
Hello Shona! I think I remember meeting at Terrace! Nice to hear from you — thanks for the kind comments about the book. I’d be happy to answer questions. I’ve written a lot about the French team’s travails during the past years, and just posted several reflections on the recent FFF scandal, at my Soccer Politics Blog: sites.duke.edu/wcwp. But am always glad to talk soccer. You can email me at laurent.dubois@duke.edu. Thanks!
By: duboisl on May 3, 2011
at 9:32 pm
Cher Andy: Malheureusement pour le moment je n’ai pas de possibilite de traduction, mais je suis en train de chercher. J’aimerais beaucoup que cela soit publie en France, bien sur! Pap Ndiaye a publie on compte-rendu sympathique du livre au site La Vie des Idees, ou j’ai aussi fait un entretien parlant en partie du livre:
http://www.laviedesidees.fr/Le-foot-francais-et-l-heritage.html?lang=fr
http://www.laviedesidees.fr/La-France-globale.html
Je me rejouis de voir le “replay” de France-Croatie demain au Stade de France!
By: duboisl on March 29, 2011
at 12:38 am
Professeur,
Je me suis permis de vous faire un peu de pub sur Amazon et via le bouche a oreille.
Merci pour les liens que vous m’avez donne. J’ai beaucoup aime.
Concernant le match France – Croatie, je l’ai trouve un peu plat mais bon, je pense que Laurent Blanc fait du reglage d’equipe.
Cordialement,
Andy
By: Andy on March 30, 2011
at 9:56 pm
Cher Andy: Merci infiniment! Cela me fait vraiment plaisir, car j’espérais justement écrire un livre qui non seulement racontait mais aussi pouvait inspirer ceux qui cherchent à créer une France à son aise avec son passé et son présent, et donc son futur. C’est particulièrement urgent aujourd’hui, je pense. Merci d’avoir écris, et bon courage !
By: duboisl on March 23, 2011
at 6:33 pm
Professeur,
Le seul bemol que j’emettrais est : A quand la version Francaise ?
Cordialement,
Andy
By: Andy on March 28, 2011
at 10:31 am
Bonjour Professeur,
Je viens de finir votre livre “Soccer Empire”. Oserais-je dire que ce livre est beau ?
La facon dont vous entrelacez l’histoire de la France et du football est simplement fascinante. Moults details que je ne savais point par exemple que le FLN avait utilise le football comme un moyen de propagande politique a ete pour moi revelateur de ce que l’equipe de France essaye de faire.
Vous m’avez rendu conscient des luttes intestines de notre pays et des revendations civiques pour une france plus representatif des apports culturels provenant de ses diverses conquetes.
Merci encore pour ce livre de toute beaute, vous avez egaye ma semaine et m’avez encore rendu plus fier d’etre francais que jamais. Je suis heureux de voir que je suis dans une longue lignee de personnes qui souhaitent creer une France plus acccueilante, plus republicaine, plus France en somme.
Merci.
Cordialement,
Andy
By: Andy on March 23, 2011
at 4:26 pm
Dear Laurent,
Have read your excellent blog/site for a while and would like to suggest our latest documentary effort The Referee that premiered this last June on Swedish Television and will be shown at various film festivals this autumn. Should you have time and interest it would be nice to hear what you think.
Kindest regards,
Mattias Löw.
Director/Producer
Freedom From Choice AB
Stockholm, Sweden
Link: http://www.vimeo.com/13425028
By: Mattias Löw. on September 12, 2010
at 9:17 am
Hello Mattias! I’m sorry it has taken so long, but I just now was able to watch the video, which I really enjoyed. Wonderful work: really humanizes the much-maligned referee. I will post about it on my blog soon! Thanks for sharing this with me.
By: duboisl on October 13, 2010
at 3:13 am
Dear Laurent,
Thank you very, very much for your kind response and comments about our short documentary portrait. I hope a few more will have the chance to see the film and enjoy it for what it is… as football/soccer in general and its refereeing in particular usually don’t attract the more civilized sides of neither human existence nor behavior. Should we pass Durham at any point we may drop by as my wife’s an architect (and documentary producer/sound recorder – labour of love, huh?) and your campus surely seem a extraordinary feat in that regard. I wish you all the best at Duke University.
Yours sincerely,
Mattias Löw.
By: Mattias Löw. on October 14, 2010
at 1:30 pm
Thanks, Stephanie: My apologies for taking so long to reply. I’m glad you enjoyed the pod-casts and hope you enjoyed the books.
By: duboisl on August 31, 2010
at 1:06 am
Professor Dubois,
I am avid listener to the podcast, “how we got here.” I had the pleasure to hear both interviews with you on the topics of Haiti and the world cup and simply wanted to say thank you for sharing your insight, wisdom and enthusiasm for both topics. You are clearly very knowledgeable on both subjects, coupled with genuine humility makes you all the more enjoyable to learn from. I can’t wait to read Soccer Empire: The World Cup and the Future of France.
Thank you very much,
Stephanie Silver
By: Stephanie Silver on June 23, 2010
at 7:30 pm
Thanks for your message, Brad. I first got interested in Haiti as an undergraduate in the late 1980s, first mainly out of concern (indeed disgust) at the racist attitudes and representations towards them in the U.S. I had a number of amazing teachers at Princeton, where I got my B.A. (including Barbara Browning, James Boon, Cornel West, Toni Morrison, and visiting scholars such as Joan (now Colin) Dayan, Richard and Sally Price, and J. Lorand Matory, who all inspired me in working on the Caribbean, about which I wrote a junior paper and then a thesis. From there, my interests expanded and evolved when I went to graduate school at the University of Michigan. I described this process and how it led to my first book, A Colony of Citizens, in 2005 an interview here: http://hnn.us/articles/18642.html.
My thesis advisor at Michigan was anthropologist Fernando Coronil (now at CUNY), and another key mentor was historian Rebecca Scott. I was also much influenced by Julius Scott as well as the other members of my committee: Ann Stoler, Ruth Behar, and Simon Gikandi.
As for my new book, I think it actually represents much less of a break than it might seem: indeed, it’s a kind of return to contemporary issues that have long interested me, and shaped my work in A Colony of Citizens, about race, citizenship, and empire in France. It focuses a great deal on the Caribbean (a region in which many of France’s best footballers have their roots), but does also expand my work to include more on Algeria, West and Central Africa, and even New Caledonia! So while the object of analysis is of course rather different, in many ways the work is deeply connected to what I have done before.
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Laurent
By: duboisl on October 24, 2009
at 3:16 pm
Hello Dr. Dubois,
I am a new Phd student at the University of Texas at Arlington, and I am doing a biography of you for our “set-up” section for class before we read your book, “Avengers of the New World” in Dr. Garrigus’ graduate course, Revolutions and Transformations. I am wondering if you can provide me with any meaningful information about yourself that could help me explain why and how you got into the studies that you did. Also, who was your mentor in graduate school and how did you come to work with him/her. I have your C.V. but it does not say who your adviser was for your dissertation. Thank you so much for providing me with any information about yourself that you can muster in short notice (my presentation is on Monday). Sorry if this seems strange, and I understand if you are too busy to respond, in which case I would simply say thank you for a detailed webpage and your book is wonderful so far (I have only read the first two chapters). Thank you for your work and I cannot wait to read your next book (How did you become interested in that topic, by the way. It seems like a very strong break from your previous works).
bjb
By: Brad Borougerdi on October 23, 2009
at 2:43 am