Caribbean Feminisms on the Page

On Thursday, September 17, 2015, I returned to my alma mater - Barnard College of Columbia University - to listen to a discussion between Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat and novelist Victoria Brown on the topic of feminism(s) in the Caribbean and the diaspora. Assistant Professor of French Kaiama Glover was the moderator.

Returning to campus is always intriguing.  The campus has gone through tremendous changes over the years, but it still felt familiar.There's a sense of wonderment. This is the place where all of my ideas were born. This is the place where I first learned about the importance of being an educated global woman and not limit myself to the confines of my physical boundaries. Barnard will always be home.

I attended the event because I wanted to see my favorite childhood author - Ms. Danticat. When I was a teenager, and preparing for college, one of the reasons I chose to go to Barnard was because Ms. Danticat went there and I wanted to be JUST like her - a writer who tells the truth unashamed, a writer who is a voice for the voiceless.

Oftentimes, during elementary school, some of my classmates would tease me because I was Haitian. I've forgiven them a long time ago - we were children then, and they didn't know any better. Whenever someone mentioned Haiti, the first phrases which would come out of their mouth would be: Voodoo, Poverty, Poorest Country in the Western Hemisphere, Banana Boat, HBO, etc. No one wanted to admit that Haiti was also a beautiful country with beautiful souls. 

I don’t know when I stumbled upon her books, but I discovered her novel, “Krik? Krak?”, at a public library one afternoon. At the time, I didn’t know of any Haitian writers who told stories in English. In my household, most of the Haitian books of literature were written either in French or Haitian Creole. So, imagine my delightful surprise to find a writer who was Haitian, and wrote in English about the familiar places in Brooklyn and experiences of her Haitian upbringing. It was the first time I could relate to someone else besides my own family. Ms. Danticat touched me to the core of my “Haitian-ness” at a young age. Her words instilled a pride in me, and when I finished her book, I was no longer ashamed of my Haitian heritage, but had a desire to re-claim it. 

Once you know who you are and where you are from, there’s a certain kind of confidence that is reflected in everything you say or do. You refuse to accept other people’s definition of who you are. During my high school years, I came across the word, "Sankofa," which is often associated with the proverb, “Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi," which translates as: "It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten." I wrote about my quest of re-claiming my Haitian identity for my college essay. I think it was one of the major reasons why I got accepted into Barnard.

I thank God that Ms. Danticat had the courage to write about the untold stories. Yes, she received some harsh criticisms, but during the discussion, she mentioned that if it were not for her stubbornness, she would have stopped writing. Her dedication encourages women of Haitian heritage like myself to be unafraid about sharing our own stories.  As she mentioned, she’s only one voice. There’s a sweet-sounding chorus out there, and we’re all adding our voices. We thank Ms. Danicat, and those before her for going ahead of us, beating the drum. Yes, we have and will continue to answer the call! 

Here are some more pictures from the evening:

With Professor Mary Gordon, my college mentor

With Novelist Victor Brown

With Haitian American Author Edwidge Danticat

  

Novelist Victoria Brown, Haitian-American author Edwidge, and Assistant Professor of French Kaiama Glover