Location: Campus Center Ballroom

Since the mid-20th century, the Haitian American community in the United States has steadily grown, sourced primarily by a combination of periodic waves of migrants from Haiti and US-born children. Now at just over 1 million persons of Haitian descent, the community’s successes include keeping at least one eye on Haiti while also being recognized as leaders in professions across fields and industries, holding elected office across the US and being the backbone of locals wherever Haitian Americans are found. Yet, there is dissatisfaction regarding the unmet potential of the community both domestically in the United States and in regards to Haiti’s development. Hence, with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Ayiti Diaspora Collaborative (ADC), a collection of 12 US and Haiti-based Haitian led organizations, is engaged in a community-wide series of conversations. Let’s discuss and discover inclusive approaches that our Haitian American community or Americans of Haitian Descent community, can apply to strengthen the community’s voice across the various interests it cares about both in the US and in Haiti.

Introduction to Ayiti Diaspora Collaborative:

Dr. Jean-Philippe Austin left Haiti at the age of 9 and moved to Queens, New York, to join his...

Dr. Jean-Philippe Austin, MD

President, Haitian American Foundation for Democracy

Gepsie Morisset-Metellus is co-founder and Executive Director of the Haitian Neighborhood Center Sant La, an award-winning neighborhood resource center...

Gepsie M. Metellus

Executive Director, Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center

Moderator:

Alix Cantave is a senior program officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, working in partnership with the Latin America...

Dr. Alix Cantave

Senior Program Officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Speakers:

For over two decades, Senator Linda Dorcena Forry has dedicated her professional life to a career in public service,...

Linda Dorcena Forry

Former Massachusetts Senator and State Representative

Dr. Marc Prou is co-founder, former director and senior teacher-researcher of Institut Supérieur de Formation, Recherche et Innovation en...

Marc Prou

Senior Researcher & Dean of Students, Université Quisqueya

A South Florida native, Santra Denis serves as the Chief Programs Officer at Catalyst Miami, an anti-poverty organization in...

Santra Denis

Founder, Avanse Ansanm

ADC National Survey Presentation:

Born and raised in the United States and of Haitian descent, Dr. Saint Jean has broad experience in bringing...

Dr. Gilbert Saint-Jean, PhD

ADC Project Co-Lead

Régine René Labrousse is originally from New Orleans, LA of Haitian parents. She is a former Foreign Service Officer...

Régine René Labrousse

Founder & CEO, Replenish 509

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