Haitian Migration Beyond the News Cycle: A Virtual Teach-In

November 22, 2021

The NYU Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies presented, "Haitian Migration Beyond the News Cycle: A Virtual Teach-In", featuring Gabrielle Apollon (NYU School of Law's Global Justice Clinic), Emmanuela Douyon (Executive Director, Policité), and Ralph Thomassaint Joseph (Editor in Chief, Ayibopost). This program was moderated by Wynnie Lamour, (NYU CLACS).

** Entèpretasyon an Kreyòl ap disponib pandan evènman an. (Simultaneous interpretation into Haitian Kreyol was available.)

This Teach-In presented an in-depth analysis of Haitian migration by a panel of experts from the island and its diaspora communities that dove into the root causes and current affairs that have driven recent emigration from Haiti to South America and the US. Experts in the areas of law, journalism, as well as political and cultural activism, explained how US Policy and political corruption tied to international economic development are at the root of the island’s latest migrant movement towards the US southern border.

Co-sponsors included the NYU John Brademas Center, The Center for the Study of Africa and the African Diaspora at NYU, the Haitian Creole Language Institute of New York, NACLA, NYU School of Law's Global Justice Clinic, Latinx Law Students Association, Black Allied Law Students Association, and the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics.

Gabrielle Apollon

Emmanuela Douyon

Ralph Thomassaint Joseph

Wynnie Lamour

Gabrielle Apollon, Co-Director, Haiti Justice and International Accountability Project, NYU School of Law's Global Justice Clinic; Supervising Attorney

Gabrielle Apollon, is a supervising attorney and Co-Director of Haiti Justice and International Accountability Project at NYU School of Law's Global Justice Clinic. Gabrielle previously served as Managing Attorney at The Door: A Center for Alternatives, where she represented young people in immigration and family law matters. A 2015 graduate of NYU School of Law, Gabrielle was an AnBryce Scholar and a student advocate in the Global Justice and Children's Rights Clinics. While in law school, Gabrielle received a Ford Foundation Public Interest Law Fellowship to work with Conectas, a Brazilian human rights organization, documenting human rights violations of Haitian migrants en route to Brazil. Prior to law school, Gabrielle worked at the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy to Haiti as a research specialist. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University.

Emmanuela Douyon, Executive Director, POLICITÉ

Emmanuela Douyon is a Haitian development policy and project specialist, activist, op-ed writer, and speaker. She is the Executive Director of POLICITÉ, a consulting firm, and think-tank that focuses on economic development. She is a member of Nou pap dòmi (We will not sleep), a collective of young Haitians committed to influencing how the Haitian State serves the population and fighting corruption, impunity, and social injustice. Emmanuela earned a Master’s in Development Studies from Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, a B.A. in Economics from National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. Her work and activism aim to contribute to social justice and economic development in Haiti.

Ralph Thomassaint Joseph, Award-Winning Multimedia Journalist

Ralph Thomassaint Joseph is an award-winning multimedia journalist based currently in New York. Ralph has been working as a journalist for more than ten years. Originally from Haiti, Ralph co-created the news section of Ayibopost, one of the most competitive Haitian digital media, where Ralph has been editor-in-chief for three years. Ralph has a master's degree in Digital Journalism from New York University (NYU), and studied Law and Sociology at the Haitian State University (UEH). Ralph is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, and speaks French, Haitian Creole, and English.

Wynnie Lamour, Lead Instructor, Kreyòl at NYU

In addition to founding The Haitian Creole Language Institute, Wynnie Lamour is an educator with a focus on Language & Communication. She has spent the last several years teaching Haitian Creole in the New York City metro area to a wide array of language learners, including non-profit professionals, public school teachers, and entrepreneurs. Her experiences growing up in Brooklyn as a Haitian-American have provided her with a unique perspective as an educator, allowing her an ease that comes when one is equally comfortable in both cultures and languages. Wynnie has a BA in Linguistics from Cornell University and an MA in Urban Affairs from CUNY Queens College. Both degrees have allowed her a flexibility to blend effortlessly into many different sectors. Wynnie's philosophy of teaching is rooted in the idea of "Mindfulness", which promotes community and connectedness, while establishing a sense of pride and respect for both the Haitian language and culture. Wynnie's most recent work includes a translation of an excerpt of the Franketienne novel "Dezafi" published May 2013 by Transition Magazine (Issue 111 "New Narratives of Haiti"), a publication of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard University.