Remembering the Haiti Earthquake: A Link Round-Up

Two years ago today a massive earthquake devastated the already economically and politically unstable Republic of Haiti. The 7.0 Richter-scaled quake left 300,000 people dead and cost $14 billion in damages. It also led to an unprecedented outpour of international humanitarian aid. Now, there are about half a million displaced Haitians still living in camps and the rebuilding of edifices and paved roads have hardly begun.

Since the earthquake, the world has paid more attention to Haiti, highlighting the various challenges facing one of the most undeveloped nations on the globe.

To remember the anniversary of the earthquake and illustrate the recovery progress—the pitfalls and complicated history of what is often called the first post-colonial black republic in the world—here is a round-up of worthwhile reports:

• The Root’s Jean McGianni Celestin writes about the “renewed sense of patriotism” growing among young, first generation Haitian-Americans that has prompted many to jet to Haiti to lend their talents to the recovery and reconstruction efforts.
• The Root is also featuring an in-depth article about the historical divisions of class and race and the exodus of the black middle class that make reconstruction from within all the more difficult for Haiti. 
• The New York Times reviews a new book, “Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution,” by Laurent Dubois, a Duke University scholar of the French Caribbean.
• The Huffington Post reports on the threat of sexual violence that women in the post-quake displacement camps face—and the nonprofits trying to help them.
• Displaced people of Haiti who are still housed in tents continue to take to the streets and express their frustration, The Guardian reports.
• Marian Wright Edelman, the president of the Children’s Defense Fund, writes at the Huffington Post about the modern day child slavery perpetuated by an old “restavèk” tradition, a Haitian reality brought to American TV screens post-quake.
• Donovan Webster from the Global Post writes about the U.S. rice subsides’ economic impact on the Haitian economy and how humanitarian aid was used to payback relief institutions, the U.S. military, and the NGO’s before the Haitians.
• Nomadic Wax has a music compilation themed around democracy in Haiti, curated back in April when the nation was still in search of a new leader.
• Haiti’s president, Michael Martelly, talks with The Miami Herald about the country’s progress since the earthquake and his hopes for working with parliament.
• And CNN has a strong recap of the tragic quake with a photogallery.

Naima Ramos-Chapman is an associate editor at Campus Progress.

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