Brush with Haiti Read Free Page A

was rejected, in the Caribbean. And it was a chance for me to learn more about it and learn more about Aristide.
    While covering nearly two centuries of development of the majority of the Western Hemisphere, there was little time to devote to the subject. As an educator, I wondered whether merely scratching the surface of such a deep issue was worse than ignoring it altogether. But I am not sorry for introducing it. It helped them to jar their minds and imagine alternative belief systems, which is necessary in understanding the human story. And it helped me to learn more about Haiti, without knowing that this was just the beginning of a long journey.

3
Hearing Aristide
    My fascination with Aristide continued. Who was this man who so eloquently articulated the struggles of the poor, yet gained the support of the U.S. government? Backers of U.S. intervention under President Clinton argued that it was necessary in order to protect democracy and the electoral process there, but throughout the 20th century the U.S. had intervened repeatedly in Central America and the Caribbean to protect its own interests. Could this soft-spoken former priest survive as the first democratically elected President in Haiti after nearly two centuries of independence? The questions continued, and I cannot say I was ever truly satisfied in finding answers. Haiti was not my field of expertise and I never set out to investigate the truth of events there fully.
    The U.S. did succeed in repositioning Aristide, and after serving out his term he stepped down. This was a clear sign that a clean, fair, sustainable electoral process might be taking root. It looked as if a peaceful exchange of power was possible. However, Aristide's prominence in political affairs did not come to an end. In a short time, there was talk that the might run for the office of President again. Still news regarding Haiti and discussions about Aristide subsided, and he seemed to be disappearing from the world scene. Then, in late 1999, I heard he was to make an appearance at a nearby conference on globalization. I had to attend.
    My perception of Aristide changed, or perhaps deepened, when I had an opportunity to hear him speak. The conference was held at Governors State University, a small 4-year campus south of Chicago, and a seemingly unlikely place to host a former head of state. But the Haitian community in Chicago was strong, and with it, the support for Aristide intense. What he stood for was gaining more attention worldwide, as criticisms of neo-liberalism and the effects of globalization were permeating college campuses. A significant percentage of Governors State's students were minority, and their more progressive professors exposed them to stories of oppression and exploitation in the Caribbean and the rest of the world. The contemporary deepening of poverty in Latin America was seen as a result of neo-liberal policies orchestrated by the United States. Aristide remained a spokesman for the poor globally, and especially in Haiti. His message had been discredited by some, and those apparently threatened by his leadership engaged in character assassinations. At that point, however, I was there anticipating a visionary message grounded in peace. I arrived early as the auditorium began to fill not only with students, but also with faculty, staff, administrators, and many from beyond the campus community. The group included a significant number of Haitian-Americans from Chicago.
    Aristide was a man small in stature and unobtrusive in demeanor, but he captivated his audience. Into his presentation it became clearer that he had a good number ofvocal supporters in the auditorium. They shouted in agreement with what he was saying, and soon others began to protest in response. I had been in situations before where politics polarized a room.
    But this felt more intense. There was something eerie about the atmosphere, and a bit confusing. I found the underlying tension discomforting,