PORTRAITS FOR A SELF DETERMINING HAITI

Régine Romain photographs and researches Haiti’s shifting yet distinct presence throughout the world in an ongoing visual diaspora project. Her work is grounded in individual and community portraiture.

This historic collection bridges two compelling views: Romain, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, as the composer of portraits on Haitian life rarely seen, and the reality of Haiti as a self-determining nation – a principle historically rooted in the people’s DNA as resurgent hope.

Portraits for Self Determining Haiti is a collection of vibrant photographs of Haiti, three weeks after the 7.0 earthquake of 2010 that killed more than half a million people. Elemental themes of faith, dignity, honor and respect are keenly displayed. The title is inspired by a series of essays published by The Nation in 1920 entitled "Self-Determining Haiti" written by James Weldon Johnson, a journalist, lyricist, and renowned civil rights leader of Haitian heritage.

Caribbean Life News Article: Portraits for Self Determining Haiti