Haitian Studies Association

Upcoming Virtual Event - "Update on Haitian Immigration in the United States"

Date & Time: June 18, 2026 4pm ET – ZOOM

https://buff.ly/Ik36JT9

The event provides an update on Haitian immigration in the United States. Panelists address the volatile and shifting immigration landscape for Haitians, touching on the SCOTUS TPS case, and Congressional TPS advocacy. This timely conversation is for the public and will help clarify misconceptions about current immigration policy and procedures.

FIFA’s Haiti jersey ban echoes the long campaign to discredit and downplay the Haitian Revolution

https://buff.ly/FVoDBkT

Ahead of its first match in the 2026 World Cup, the Haitian national soccer team was forced to make a last-minute change. But it didn’t have anything to do with its roster or travel plans. It was the team’s jersey.

FIFA, the sport’s global governing body, said the jersey design violated its rules, which ban political slogans or imagery.

"Haiti at the World Cup is more than an underdog tale – it is the story of global migration"

https://theconversation.com/haiti-at-the-world-cup-is-more-than-an-underdog-tale-it-is-the-story-of-global-migration-283039

When Haiti’s soccer team lines up against Scotland on June 13, 2026, its players will be representing the Caribbean nation at a World Cup for the first time since 1974. They will also embody the complexities and possibilities of Haiti and its diaspora. [...]

Click link to read more

Online Film Screening – Ludi
2021 (80 minutes)
Date & Time: Friday, May 8th, 2026 at 1 p.m. EST/12 p.m. CT/ 10 a.m. PST

https://buff.ly/OqitIOS

Ludi follows a Haitian nurse employed at a nursing home in Little Haiti, Miami, trying to make ends meet to support her family in Haiti. The film helps viewers reflect on the cost of pursuing the so-called American Dream.

Join us for a post-screening discussion with filmmaker Edson Jean and Cécile Accilien (Professor of French & Francophone Studies, University of Maryland).

Online Films Screening – Four Short Films by Al’Ikens Plancher
Date & Time: Friday, April 24th, 2026 at 1 p.m. EST/12 p.m. CT/ 10 a.m. PST

https://www.haitianstudies.org/2026/03/four-short-films-by-alikens-plancher/

• Boat People, 2024 (10 minutes): Boat People is a black and white film inspired by the true story of a Haitian refugee woman in Guantanamo Bay trying to survive the inhumane conditions of the infamous detention camp.

• Tifi , 2021 (13 minutes): Ti Fi follows a young girl who decides to buy soccer shoes to play on a field ruled by bullies.

• La Vie, 2023 (4 minutes): La vie shows various periods in the life of a Haitian couple while on a beach in Miami.

• Konpa, 2023 (9 minutes): Konpa is the story of a young man in search of his Haitian roots in order to impress a girl.

Join filmmaker Al’Ikens Plancher and Felix Jean-Louis (Assistant Professor of History, University of California, Irvine) as they discuss these short films centered on Haitian and Haitian-American identities.

Upcoming Event: "Haiti Programs & Politics Briefing"

Thursday, April 2nd at 7:00 PM EST - Zoom

https://buff.ly/WApdZBT

The Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) is pleased to invite you to a Virtual Program Briefing on Thursday, April 2nd at 7:00 EST/4:00 PST with the leaders of our sister organization, the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI).

The Leadership Council members Mèt Kattia Dorestant Lefruy, Mèt Gesnel Pierre, and Mèt Chadony Canon will speak about the BAI’s work and provide analysis on the complex and challenging political context in Haiti. Bring your questions, the discussion is sure to be enlightening!

Latest issue of the Journal of Haitian Studies is now available for download to our members.

https://buff.ly/xiv6r3k

Online Film Screening – Douvan Jou Ka Leve (The Sun Will Rise)
by Gessica Généus
Date & Time: Friday, March 20, 2026 at 1 p.m. EST/12 p.m. CT/ 10 a.m. PST

https://buff.ly/MFtMTA0

Online Film Screening – Douvan Jou Ka Leve (The Sun Will Rise)
by Gessica Généus
Date & Time: Friday, March 20, 2026 at 1 p.m. EST/12 p.m. CT/ 10 a.m. PST

https://buff.ly/MFtMTA0

This intimate documentary by filmmaker Gessica Généus tackles the complex issue of mental health illness in Haitian society. Using her mother’s bipolar disorder, Généus explores what she refers to as an “illness of the soul” to examine how personal trauma is intertwined with centuries of cultural and religious colonization in Haiti. The film blends poetic narration with intimate footage in a way that invites viewers to address the issue of mental illness with compassion, care and understanding.

Yolette Williams, CEO of The Haitian American Alliance of New York (HAA), will join us after the film for a discussion with moderator Jaïra Placide (CUNY Haitian Studies Institute at Brooklyn College). A Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Psychotherapist, and Board-Certified Neurofeedback Specialist, Ms. Williams co-led annual medical and mental health missions to Haiti, including trauma counseling and training for professionals after the 2010 earthquake. The conversation will center on how mental health illness impacts Haitians and Haitian diasporic women in particular.