Many scholars and practitioners do not necessarily know that the United States occupied Haiti for nineteen years, between 1915 and 1934. It is also not common knowledge that the monies taken from the National Bank of Haiti helped to boost the U.S. economy in the context of the great depression. With the recent assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse followed by the powerful earthquake of August 14, 2021, Haiti has yet again been in the spotlight of mainstream media, and is recurrently labelled as the “poorest country of the Western Hemisphere,” a label that not only ignores the root causes of Haiti’s contemporary issues, but also completely ignores the country’s rich history and resources. Contrary to the general scholarship that has reaffirmed neocolonial tropes about Haiti, Professor Saint Paul will unpack the myth that Haiti is the poorest country, and will explain how U.S. economic interests have driven U.S. political interventions in Haiti, from 1915 to now. The overall goal of the lecture is to raise awareness about the fact that the Caribbean country has been impoverished by powerful transnational social forces, highly influenced by the United States of America. The discussion will also explore the question of whether or not the United States has a moral responsibility in Haiti’s current state of affairs.

Virtual Event via Zoom, please register through the following link: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Py9gTMsFSta3oHkkmEQqyQ