Born of a slave rebellion on the French colony of Saint-Domingue which transformed into the most radical antislavery and anticolonial revolution in world history, Haiti became the first independent Black republic in 1804. In the early years of independence, a scission emerged between rival revolutionary factions, leading to geographical division of sovereign territory and the establishment of two separate and independent states: a ‘State of Hayti’ in the North and a ‘Republic of Hayti’ in the South. In 1811, Henry Christophe, Generalissimo of the northern territory, crowned himself king. Though this October marks the bicentenary of the fall of the Kingdom of Haiti, this webinar celebrates its manifold artistic and cultural ‘afterlives’, focusing in particular on the strong connections forged between Britain and Haiti. It will explore issues relating to Haitian history and heritage, numismatics, transatlantic artistic production, dress and music produced in or on behalf of the Kingdom of Haiti. The event will take place on October 6th (Christophe’s birthday) and will be led by experts in the field – joining virtually from the UK, US and Haiti – and will offer an introduction to the historical context surrounding these transatlantic cultural connections as well as a series of short talks on more focused topics. It will conclude with a live performance.
Organised by Dr Esther Chadwick (The Courtauld)
Participants:
Dr Nicole Willson – Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow at the Institute for Black Atlantic Research, University of Central Lancashire
Gaëlle Lissade – Chargé d’Affaires, Haitian Embassy in London
Wilford Marous – President, Haitian Chamber of Commerce in the UK
Dr Marlene Daut – Professor of African Diaspora Studies in the Carter G. Woodson Institute and the Program in American Studies at the University of Virginia
Tabitha McIntosh – Independent Scholar, UK
Joseph Guerdy Lissade – Vice President, Haitian Geological, Geographical and Historical Society
Henry Stoll – PhD Candidate in Historical Musicology at Harvard University
Melissa Joseph – Soprano
