Edwidge Danticat presents a narrative look at Haiti

With the tragedy in Haiti fresh in everyone’s minds, Edwidge Danticat spoke of hope and the story-telling traditions of her native country. Danticat’s lecture was sponsored by the Hazel I. Jackson lecture series and took place March 24.

Many students came out to take part in the event, which was in Lehr Hall in the Gordinier building. Hazel I. Jackson was the first African-American professor at Millersville University and the first African-African female teacher in the Lancaster school district. Her accomplishments led to the founding of the Hazel I. Jackson Scholarship at Millersville University. This year’s recipient was Romaine Thrower, a sophomore, who is majoring in Education.

“A woman is who she is and not what others want her to be,” Thrower recited, as she introduced the evening’s speaker Ewidge Danticat. Danticat was born in Haiti in 1969 and was raised by her aunt after her parents left for the United States when she was four years old. She was later reunited with them when she was 12 years old in the United States.

Two years later, she published her first two articles. Several of her works have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. Her works also include documentaries and short stories. Danticat has won an abundance of awards and accolades for her work, and she is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She calls herself an immigrant and a writer, which is a modest title given her many accomplishments.

Danticat greeted the audience with a Haitian saying in her native language. She opened with a folk tale about the importance of understanding. Many of the folk tales she recited were life lessons for the audience. Haiti has a culture that is rich with the art of storytelling. These folktales hold morals and metaphors, while some are just designed for entertainment. Danticat exhibited that in her presentation and each story exuded the beauty of her homeland, and its people.

Danticat lost several family members and also her home. She returned to Haiti 23 days after the earthquake hit. “Everything is gone and if felt as though everything had shifted under your feet. Everything shook but the trees,” Danticat said. In Haiti natural disasters usually have nicknames. There is no native name for earthquakes, and Danticat said that the lack of a name made people uncomfortable. It reinforces the uncertainty of everyday life, and how every waking moment should not be taken for granted.

An audience member asked Danticat how long she thought it would take to rebuild Haiti and she replied, “That’s the 14 billion dollar question.” She discussed many details about plans for the rebuilding of Haiti. She was mostly concerned with the human reconstruction of the devastated nation. She also spoke of the will of Haitian people, and how they tend to be very optimistic in the face of tragedy. She went on to say that it can get worse now that hurricane season is approaching. The story of her people is an encouraging one, because despite all their hardships they are resilient and have unbending love and loyalty for their homeland.

“Haiti is slippery ground,” Danticat said. The infrastructure of her country had always been in fluctuation, but now more than ever, her homeland is in shambles. Yet, no matter how tangled and painful the memories are for her and other Haitians, it will always be home.