When Haiti defeated the French in 1804 to become the first independent Black republic in the world, their freedom had global ramifications. As a result of this liberation and destruction of slavery, plantation based economies across the Western Hemisphere were deeply impacted culturally and economically. One of the most prominent examples of this impact could be seen in the United States, where in addition to the Louisiana Purchase, a migration of nearly 10,000 former inhabitants of Haiti (formerly known as Saint-Domingue) to New Orleans brought many of the most characteristic markers of New Orleans culture. As a Haitian-American and New Orleans native, Nic Brierre Aziz has seen firsthand the ways that these narratives and others have been historically underdiscussed. Through travel and research, he will trace the impact felt around the world by the migration of Haitians. He will visit museums, historical sites, archives, art spaces and universities and meet with scholars, artists and activists who will help him illuminate the legacy of Haitians throughout the African Diaspora. His findings will lead to “Reverberations” – a multi-site exhibition that will be presented in New Orleans and illustrate the deep influences that Haiti has had on the places that Haitians traveled to, both as free and enslaved people, following the Haitian Revolution.
Nic Brierre Aziz
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“Art is what you can get away with.”
Andy Warhol