October 02, 2024
Meghan O'Toole
Courtney Joseph featured in Chicago Tribune on Haitian contributions to Chicago
Associate Professor of History and African American Studies Courtney Joseph was recently interviewed by the Chicago Tribune for an article on the Haitian community of Chicago.
She spoke about her Haitian identity as the daughter of Haitian immigrants and the rise of negative and false propaganda against Haitians and Haitian Americans during the run-up to the US presidential election.
The article, “In Chicago, a resilient and strong Haitian community celebrates its contributions to the city,” underscored the impact of claims made by former President Donald Trump against Haitians.
The article shared Joseph's perspective on the long history of racist stereotypes Haitians have faced: “Haitians have had to deal with negative propaganda against them for centuries, Joseph said: from false stereotypes of having 'pacts with the devil' to kids eating 'dirt cookies' to being the arbiters of AIDS in the 1980s.” These stereotypes date back to Haiti being the first successful slave revolt in the Western hemisphere in 1804.
Joseph is also writing her first book on the Haitian community in Chicago, titled Invisibly Visible: A Community History of Haitians in Chicago.