Community Conversation(s) on "Strengthening Haitian Communities of the DMV”

On Monday, August 25 in room CM-211 at Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus: join Speakers: Prof. George MacLeod and research intern Fladaïna Bruno for a community conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing the present-day Haitian communities of the DMV.

As part of their presentation, MacLeod and Bruno will present original research and invite AHP members to contribute to the first-ever research study about Haitian diasporas of the DMV! (Interested now? Contact Prof. MacLeod at Z3NtYWNsZW9kIHwgc21jbSAhIGVkdQ== to be a part of the project!)

Being Haitian in the DMV

While Haitian communities in Boston, New York, and Florida are often talked about, there has been much less attention paid to the Haitian communities in and around the DC-area. Over the past two years, Prof. MacLeod and Ms. Bruno have conducted over twenty interviews with DC, Maryland, and Virginia-based Haitians in English, French, and Kreyòl. They have also participated in Haitian events such as galas, picnics, parades, and church events. They will briefly share the results of this research, followed by an open discussion.

The open-discussion will be a chance for attendees to react to the research presentation and to share thoughts on how to sustain and strengthen the Haitian communities in the DMV during these uncertain times.

Share your story!

As part of their presentation, MacLeod and Bruno will also invite AHP members to contribute to their research by signing up for a brief Zoom or in-person interview to share their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing the Haitian communities of the DMV. All interviews are anonymous and confidential upon request. Contact Prof. MacLeod at Z3NtYWNsZW9kIHwgc21jbSAhIGVkdQ== for more info.

This conversation is intended to be a space for Dr. MacLeod and Ms. Bruno to get feedback on their work as well as to reflect on what it means to be Haitian in the DMV and how to ensure the sustainability and health of the Haitian diaspora both for the good of its members and for the broader local community.

This Conversation is intended to raise awareness, explore how to get involved with planning forward activities to advance/support this research project and other actions to remain engaged forward.

Please be on time, community conversation will start promptly at indicated time.

Important Disclosure:

The material presented here is for general educational and informational purposes only. All discussed here is not specific to any individual’s professional work-related or personal circumstances or association to any work organization/institution.

Any views or opinions expressed by a speaker represent solely the views and opinions of the individual speaker and have no bearing in relation to individual’s employer or the Association of Haitian Professionals - AHP, if any.

For more background information, visit the project website and directly contact the project team at:

https://sites.google.com/smcm.edu/haitian-diaspora-in-dc-area/home

ABOUT PROF. GEORGE MACLEOD

Currently an Associate Professor of French at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Dr. MacLeod earned his PhD in French and Francophone Studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016. His first book, Mediating Violence From Africa: Francophone Literature, Film, and Testimony after the Cold War was published in 2023 with University of Nebraska Press.

Dr. MacLeod’s interest in Haiti grew out of several research trips to Port-au-Prince in the mid-2010s to investigate how Haitian poets were commemorating the traumatic legacy of the Duvalier dictatorship. Most recently, he has conducted site visits and interviews in English, French, and Kreyòl with the Haitian community in Tijuana, Mexico (2023-2025) and in the DMV area (2023-2025). This research forms the basis of an upcoming conference presentation at the 2025 Haitian Studies Association Annual Conference in Pittsburgh entitled “Civic Engagement in the U.S. Haitian Diaspora: A Case Study of the Association of Haitian Professionals” and an article in progress for the Journal of Haitian Studies tentatively titled “Sensing Across Borders: Strategies of Resistance and Community Formation within Haitian Diasporic Communities.”

Dr. MacLeod is fluent in English and French and proficient in Spanish and Haitian Kreyòl.

ABOUT FLADAĨNA BRUNO (RESEARCH ASSISTANT)

Ms. Bruno is a native of Port-au-Prince, Haiti and an undergraduate major in French and Performance Studies at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She was awarded funding to work with Dr. MacLeod this summer through the St. Mary’s College Signature Honors Internship Program (SHIP).

Ms. Bruno recently studied abroad in Cannes, France and is a member of the St. Mary’s College Track and Field team. A resident of Columbia, Maryland, she is considering a career in Humanitarian Law. She is fluent in English and Kreyòl and proficient in French.

Info: 1) Welcome


2) Context


3) Why: A research study about Haitian diasporas of the DMV?


4) Benefits, Issues, Outcomes and Participation


5) Q & A 6) Concluding Remarks

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