New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study will host “Haiti(an) Matters: Creating a New Narrative”—a series of Black History Month events—February 3 through 24, at 1 Washington Place (at Broadway).

“Haiti(an) Matters: Creating a New Narrative” Theme of NYU Gallatin’s 2011 Black History Month Events

New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study will host “Haiti(an) Matters: Creating a New Narrative”—a series of Black History Month events—February 3 through 24, at 1 Washington Place (at Broadway). Admission is free to all events, but seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Non-NYU guests must show a valid photo I.D. For more information, e-mail:  gallatin.studentaffairs@nyu.edu or call 212.998.7375. Subway lines: N, R (8th Street); 6 (Astor Place).

“Shattered City/Shattered Lives”

Thursday, February 3, 6:30 p.m.

The Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts, 1 Washington Place, Main Floor

The program begins with a screening of the PBS documentary The Quake, which was filmed days after the devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010. The Quake graphically documents the disaster and the ill-coordinated relief efforts that left survivors without adequate food, water, shelter or medical care.

Following the screening, Dr. Stephen S. Carryl, chairman of surgery at the Brooklyn Hospital and president of the Overseas Medical Assistance Team (OMAT) will address the audience. OMAT has made frequent visits to Haiti over the past 10 years and was among the first responders after the earthquake. Joining the discussion will be Dr. Gary Belkin, director of the program in Global Mental Health at NYU’s School of Medicine and senior director for psychiatric services in the Health and Hospitals Corporation of the City of New York.

Exhibition and Opening: “Haiti in the Collective Imagination”

Monday, February 14 – Friday, March 4

Opening Reception, Monday, February 14, 6:30 p.m.

The Gallatin Galleries, 1 Washington Place, Main Floor

As the first post-colonial nation to be liberated and governed by members of the African Diaspora, Haiti has a rich history. But even as the news is filled with stories about the country’s politics or natural disasters, music or culture, the question often remains: What is Haiti? What is the relationship between the idea of Haiti and the reality lived by the Haitian people?  “Haiti in the Collective Imagination,” an exhibition that includes photography, painting, video, and mixed media, does not seek to answer that question with a singular response but to propose numerous possibilities. The exhibition is curated by Keith Miller, curator of Gallatin Galleries.

“Expressions…”

Wednesday, February 16, 6:30 p.m.

The Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts, 1 Washington Place, Main Floor

This evening of dance and the spoken word will feature Gina Athena Ulysse and Peniel Guerrier. An anthropologist, poet/performer, multi-media artist, and educator, Ulysse calls her thoughtful, expressive spoken word performances “alterednative.” Born in Petion-Ville, Haiti, Ulysse is a professor of Anthropology and African American Studies at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Guerrier studied at Ecole Nationale des Arts in Port-au-Prince, where he researched Haitian folkloric traditions. He has also taught, danced and toured the world with the National Dance Theatre of Haiti. He immigrated to the United States and now performs and teaches in various dance centers and schools, including the Connecticut Ballet Center.

“Haiti(an) Matters”

Thursday, February 24, 6:30 p.m.

The Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts, 1 Washington Place, Main Floor

The January 2010 earthquake destroyed Port-au-Prince homes, schools, and governmental buildings, taking the lives more than a quarter of a million. An outpouring of compassion from around the world generated billions of dollars in donations and international pledges. To determine which reconstruction projects will receive backing from the multibillion-dollar funding that has been pledged by foreign donors, the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission was established. This panel asks: How much progress has been made and how have the people of Haiti benefited? Panelists include: Fabienne Doucet, assistant professor, NYU’s Steinhardt School for Culture, Education, and Human Development; Jocelyn McCalla, CEO, JMC Strategies, LLC; Garry Pierre-Pierre, publisher and editor, The Haitian Times; and Millery Polyné, assistant professor, NYU’s Gallatin School.

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