[Haitian\Dominican Republic News]
Members of the In Cultured Company..
Photo: In Cultured Company
In Cultured Company Sponsors Decolonizing Hispaniola workshop…
On July 15th, 2019, Over one hundred Haitian and Dominicans will meet at a secret location on Brooklyn, NY to participate in the third edition of Decolonizing Hispaniola. This is an intimate gathering for people of Haitian and Dominican descent to deconstruct the divisions that define Hispaniola and discuss how to move past the current narrative to reshape our future.
When I founded In Cultured Company, says founder France Francois, “ “experts” told us that we would never be able to get Haitians and Dominicans in the same room together. In fact, each time we’ve done a workshop, it’s sold out within days by word of mouth alone.”
This event is particularly timely in the face of right-wing extremism taking hold in the DR and in Dominican enclaves in New York, aiming to challenge any movements for solidarity or justice on the island. Broken into for distinct parts, the discussions will center around evaluating ideas of nationality, nationhood, ethnicity, race, color, class, colonial identity, historical memory, inequality, historical trauma, spirituality, and healing in the context of DR and Haiti. Honest questions and dialog will be encouraged as expert facilitators provide the tools, knowledge, and provocation to deconstruct our collective histories, identities, and examine the power dynamics that support and sustain the current status quo on the island and in interpersonal interactions.
“Through our Decolonizing Hispaniola workshops, we have created a space for people like you and me- the dreamers and the disruptors who refuse to be restricted by the limits of other people’s prejudices. It’s become a space for healing, growing- to build bridges where others have built barriers, “ continued Francois. More information can be found here about the 6/15 workshop.
In Cultured Company (ICC), creates and delivers customized workshops, such as Decolonizing Hispaniola, with everyday Dominican and Haitian descendants to educate, promote dialogue and healing, deconstruct myths and provide the tools needed to build bridges where others built barriers. For more information go to www.inculturedco.org
