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THE PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC ANNIHILATION OF HAITI: The role of the Western Media<br />Nicole J. Sealey<br />Tiah E. McKinney<br />June 18, 2010<br />

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Introduction<br />Topic: Haiti (as a microcosm of the African Diaspora) through media representation of natural disasters<br />Media: Major news and media outlets<br />Purpose: To uncover intentional racialization and demonization within discourse and imagery present in the Western media which socially engineers the general population’s perspective of persons of African heritage.<br />

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Historical Disbursement of Peoples of African Heritage<br />

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Global Impact<br /><ul><li>Afro-Caribbeans

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African-American

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Africans

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Afro-Latinos (Central & South America)

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Afro-peans (Across Eastern/Western Europe)

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Afro-Asians</li></li></ul><li>Critical Discourse Analysis<br />Two levels of evaluation:<br />Meso-level evaluation of artifacts’ production and consumption, focusing on how power relations are enacted. <br />Macro-level evaluation of inter-textual understanding, trying to understand the broad, societal currents that are affecting the artifact being studied.<br />Areas of analysis:<br />Lexicon (analysis of spoken or written language)<br />Rhetoric (analysis of discourse practice, including production, distribution and consumption and the analysis of discursive events as instances of sociocultural practice).<br />Historical dimension through lens of Post-colonialism<br />

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ARTIFACT in EVIDENCE: Part I<br />Watch the Video Online at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibqhestHouA<br />

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Overt Messages<br />Violent<br />Criminal<br />Poor<br />Unclean<br />Uneducated<br />Helpless/“pitiful”<br />Exoticism<br />“Heathens” who are deserving of calamity<br />

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Covert Messages<br />“White man’s burden”/“Western Savior”<br />Low Moral Character<br />Unruly/untrustworthy<br />Lazy<br />Unattractive<br />Low Value to Society<br />Menacing (reason to fear)<br />

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Putting things into Context: An Examination of Haiti’s History<br />Back story: “Savage Imperialism” [1659-1791]<br />1750’s -Become the richest and most coveted colony in the Western Hemisphere. <br />Produced about 60 percent of the world's coffee and about 40 percent of the sugar imported by France and Britain. <br />Saint-Domingue played a pivotal role in the French economy, accounting for almost two-thirds of French commercial interests abroad and about 40 percent of foreign trade. <br />System depended on brutal institution of slavery<br />12 year war: Haitian Revolt [1791-Nov 17, 1803]<br />Major victory against largest & most-powerful naval task force & world powers<br />Set off a chain of events that closed the door to slavery<br />Punishment for creating the 1st free Black republic in the Americas (economic, psychological, social and spiritual)<br />Global economic embargo imposed by U.S. and Europe<br />Non-recognition of Haiti as sovereign state<br />France demand for financial reparations - $21 Billion (2004 dollars) loss of slave property<br /><ul><li>Western Interlopers

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U.S. Military Occupation of Haiti [1915-1934]

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Coups/”Democratic” period [1930-1957]

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U.S./Canadian/French- Backed Haitian Dictators and Despotic government (Duvalier era 1957-1986)

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Recent, 2004 U.S supported removal of Jean Bertrand Aristide/US backed proxy wars</li></li></ul><li>ARTIFACT in EVIDENCE: Part II<br />Watch the Video Online at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C25PYcdAcDA<br />

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Analysis of the Role of the Media<br />Tool of Manipulation: Profits are the bottom line<br />Earthquake Relief funds largely diverted to NGOs, <1% getting to Haiti<br />Tragedy Industry<br />Children as Pawns<br />Celebrity image promotion<br />Distortion of perception to promote status quo <br />Desensitization/Objectification<br />Controlling sympathy via image choice<br />Reinforcing superiority/inferiority<br />

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Conclusions<br />Motifs operandi<br />‘play up’ negative activities of the “other” (e.g., looting);<br />‘down play’ positive activities of “other” (e.g., good Samaritans)<br />Positioning the Western dominance as “savior” (e.g., numerous photos of White American Soldier rescues)<br />Objectification of members of African Diaspora commonplace in media<br />Exploitive mechanisms used in reporting devoid of sensitivity<br />Racialization as a ingrained sociocultural practice<br />

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Advice for Educators<br />Don’t perpetuate stereotypes; take the time to investigate and understand the standpoint/positionality of individuals of African heritage<br />Acknowledge that individuals of African heritage live all over the world and at different socioeconomic levels<br />Don’t believe that only children of African heritage benefit from seeing/hearing about people of African heritage in history & literature<br />Positive acknowledgement of roles and contributions from individuals of African heritage must be incorporated year-round (not just Black History Month or as an ‘add-on’ to the ‘regular curriculum’)<br />

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Resources for Research<br />HAITIAN MEDIA STORM: http://www.haitianmediastorm.ca/<br />TRUTH ABOUT CLINTION/BUSH PRESIDENCIES: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRi_MJX-C_M<br />Farmer, P. (1994). The uses of Haiti. Common Courage Press; Monroe, ME.<br />Hallward, P. (2008). Damming the flood: Haiti, Aristide and the politic of containment. Verso, New York.<br />Robinson, R. (2007). An unbroken agony: Haiti, from revolution to the kidnapping of a president. Basic Civitas Books; New York.<br />

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Online Resources<br /><ul><li>Jean & Alexander Heard Library @ Vanderbilt http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/central/afam.html

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K-12 History Resources @ Stanford

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http://library.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/history/hisk12.html

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http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/africaneducation/</li></ul>Teaching-africa-K12.html<br /><ul><li>African Studies @ Columbia University Libraries</li></ul>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/africa/cuvl/teaching.html<br /><ul><li>Africa, Africa America & African Diaspora @ UC Berkeley</li></ul>http://orias.berkeley.edu/africa/TeachingAfricaLinks.htm<br />

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Thank you!<br /> from Tiah & Nicole<br />