#HAAF2012 by Tara Nicole Moss (PHOTOS)

Happy Monday! 

As promised here are more pictures from the 'Hope and A Future' Benefit Concert. This selection of pictures is by Tara Nicole Moss Photography. This talented photographer is a dear friend of F.W.A.C. She is originally from Tennessee but resides in Brooklyn now. Relive the 'Hope and A Future Concert' through her lens from backstage to the stage. 

For more information on TNM or to book a session, visit her website: Tara Nicole Moss.

Thank you Tara for these Moments. Captured.


XOXO

'Hope and A Future' Concert by Afrikanspot (PHOTOS)

The New York Giants with C2C Founder.

As promised here are some of the pictures from the amazing 2nd Annual Hope and A Future Benefit Concert. The pictures you are about to see were taken by Isseu from Afrikanspot.   They were so gracious in sharing them with us so we could in turn share them with you. For more pictures visit their website: Afrikanspot. 

Community2Community Founder, Marie Eusebe.

Headliners CaRiMi getting ready backstage.

C2C's Water Initiative was presented in a theatrical performance by this talented young man along with other actors.

 Headliner Oleta Adams waving to the crowd after her performance. 

 Headliner Chrisette Michele singing her heart out.

Headliners CaRiMi rocking the house in our God Save Haiti t-shirts for Haiti relief. They had the crowd out of their seats dancing to their sound! What a night! 

The Fashion With A Conscience table was buzzing. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to support the cause.  

We will be posting more pictures so stay tuned.

Thank you!

Happy Tuesday everyone! 

We had such an amazing first couple of weeks celebrating Haiti. Our "12 days 12 ways to discover Haiti" series culminated with the fabulous 'Hope and A Future Concert' this past friday night with Chrisette Michele, Oleta Adams and CaRiMi. Spirits were high, music was flowing, people were dancing, awareness was being raised and Haiti was rising. The concert was everything we wanted it to be: INSPIRING. 

Picture courtesy of C2C

We were so happy to receive your support and meeting some of you for the first time. Thanks to everyone who came and said hello at the Fashion With A Conscience / Community2Community table. 

Pictures are coming soon. Stay tuned.

We love you and Haiti thanks you! 


The F.W.A.C. Team

12th Way to Discover Haiti: You!

I spent the morning on Twitter and Google looking for coverage on the current situation in Haiti. I was shocked to find so little. Maybe it is still too early in the day and reporters are still waiting on their assistants to come back with their morning coffee. Or maybe Haiti has become old news already. Let's be honest most hot topics don't make it past the 3 week mark anyway. Whatever the case may be, due to the colossal work that still needs to be done over there, we choose to keep Haiti at the forefront of our news.

By now we all know the facts:
Date: January 12, 2010 (2 years)
Disaster: Earthquake
Death toll: +300, 000 dead in 35 seconds
Over 1 million impacted (injuries, homelessness and cholera)
Ongoing needs: Medical, shelter, food and clean water.


The 12th way to discover Haiti is to Discover Haiti for Yourself by staying informed, getting involved and paying it's people a little visit perhaps! Many celebrities have visited the island since the earthquake, namely: Sean Penn, Oprah, A Belle in Brooklyn, Neo, Farrakhan, Rachel Roy, Martha Stewart and President Bill Clinton to only name a few. They all fell in love with the culture, the people and were amazed by the resiliency of this nation. They have also given their time and resources to this cause. Join them! We guarantee you won't regret following in their footsteps.

Don't know where to begin? Join us tomorrow at the Hope and A Future Benefit Concert, 8pm. Come out for a night of music with performances by Grammy Award winner Chrisette Michele, multi-platinum recording artist Oleta Adams and Haitian band sensation CaRiMi. Check out the promo video.


#12days12ways is another great place to start.
Here's the recap:

11th Way to Discover Haiti: Literature

10th Way to Discover Haiti: A Young Haiti

9th Way to Discover Haiti: Artistry

8th Way to Discover Haiti: BONUS: #12days12ways GIVEAWAY!!! Hope and A Future Concert + EXCLUSIVE GUEST PASSES

7th Way to Discover Haiti: Food...Food...Food...

6th Way to Discover Haiti: Community2Community

5th Way to Discover Haiti: Share in their struggles 

4th Way to Discover Haiti: Remember the earthquake and never forget

3rd Way to Discover Haiti: Historical Facts - After the Independence

2nd Way to Discover Haiti: Historical Facts - Before the Independence

1st Way to Discover Haiti: Happy Independence Day!!!

Contact us with any questions, ideas or comments!


XOXO

11th Way to Discover Haiti: Literature

"What is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote it." -E.M. Forster

Haitian literature has been closely intertwined with the political life of Haiti. Haitian intellectuals turned successively or simultaneously to France, the UK, the United States, and African traditions. At the same time, Haitian history has always been a rich source of inspiration for literature, with its heroes, its upheavals, its cruelties and its rites.

19th Century
Juste Chanlatte (1766–1828) was a Haitian poet and playwright. He served as secretary to King Henri I of the Kingdom of Haiti. Chanlatte was born in Port-au-Prince and educated in France. He wrote for La Gazette du Cap  and later was the editor of the official government publication during President Jean Pierre Boyer's term, the Télégraphe.

• Ode à l'Indépendance (1821)
• Cantate à l'Indépendance (1821)
• La Triple Palme (1822)
• Le Naufrage de "l'Alexandre"

20th Century:

Jacques Roumain (June 4, 1907 – August 18, 1944) was a Haitian writer, politician, and advocate of Communism. He is considered one of the most prominent figures in Haitian literature. Although poorly known in the English-speaking world, Roumain has significant following in Europe, and is renowned in the Caribbean and Latin America. The great African-American poet, Langston Hughes, translated some of Roumain's greatest works, including Gouverneurs de la Rosée (Masters of the Dew). Although his life was short, Roumain managed to touch many aspects of Haitian life and culture.

"What are we? Since that's your question, I'm going to answer you. We're this country, and it wouldn't be a thing without us, nothing at all. Who does the planting? Who does the watering? Who does the harvesting? Coffee, cotton, rice, sugar cane, caco, corn, bananas, vegetables, and all the fruits, who's going to grow them if we don't? Yet with all that, we're poor, that's true. We're out of luck, that's true. We're miserable, that's true. But do you know why, brother? Because of our ignorance. We don't know yet what a force we are, what a single force - all the peasants, all the Negroes of the plain and hill, all united. Some day, when we get wise to that, we'll rise up from one end of the country to the other. Then we'll call a General Assembly of the Masters of the Dew, a great big coumbite of farmers and we'll clear out poverty and plant a new life". ("Masters of the Dew", p. 106).

Contemporary:

Stanley Péan:

Born in Haiti but raised in Northern Quebec (Jonquière, in the Saguenay region), Stanley Péan is the author of twenty books: short story collections, novels, fiction for kids and a couple of essays about jazz. He is also a screenwriter; a journalist; the editor in chief of Le Libraire (a bimonthly magazine about books in Quebec, distributed freely in independent bookstores); a book reviewer on Vous m'en lirez tant, Radio-Canada's Première Chaîne weekly literary program; the host of a daily jazz program on Espace musique, Radio-Canada's all-music national radio network; and, finally, was the chair of l'UNEQ, the writers and authors union in Québec, from 2004 to 2010.

Did you know?

The Language of Haiti: Creole

Two hypotheses exist on the birth of creole, a language whose history is intimately linked to colonization. One suggests that creole was born from the necessity for different communities to communicate among themselves. Under this theory, Haitian creole developed in the 17th century on Turtle Island, where enslaved Africans, buccaneers, privateers and European settlers lived together. The other theory suggests that creole was born on the Portuguese Atlantic coast of Africa in the fifteenth century and it was then "exported" via the slave trade.

In any event there are more than 200 creole or creole-related languages. Whether based on English, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch or French, as in Haiti, creole is the language of collective memory, carrying a symbol of resistance. Creole is found in stories, songs, poetry (Saint-John Perse, Aimé Césaire, Derek Walcott), and novels (Patrick Chamoiseau, Raphaël Confiant).

Despite Haiti's independence, French has remained the country's official language. French, a language of great cultural prestige, was spoken by the elite, and creole did not enter the literary field until the second half of the 20th century. The indianists of the 1930s and the Négritude movement (incarnated in Haiti by Jean Price-Marts) emphasized the African origins of Antillean people, giving it an identity lost in deportation and later colonization. But, for them, Creole was still considered an impure language of slavery.

The Créolité movement, which succeeded them, rehabilitated the Creole, which no longer was only the language of slavery, but "that which we made together to survive". A shift was brought about in Haitian literature, from French to Creole, or du français vers le créole, or rather a dialogue between the two languages.

Creole is used frequently in poetry and drama. Frankétienne, for example, writes his plays only in Creole. An oral language, Creole is particularly suited in these genres elevating the voice. (Even if many Haitians speak and understand Creole, not all can read it.) In novels, the two languages are sometimes used together, creating a new and original way of writing.

The choice of language for writing is an important issue in contemporary creative writing, especially for writers residing in Haiti.

10th Way to Discover Haiti: A Young Haiti.

I stumbled upon these photos while I was discovering the LIFE app for iPad. I was shocked to see these images of Haiti. People relaxing on a patio, playing at a casino and listening to live music.  Even though the disparity between the rich and the poor was still poignant then, these images of a once happier Haiti gave me hope.

Pictured: Palm trees silhouettes against the sky at a Haitian fishing village. 

Pictured: A band plays in a nightclub, Simbie, named after an African water goddess.  

Pictured:  Women enjoy drinks on the porch of a wealthy private home in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

 Pictured: President Dumarsais Estime plays a slot machine at a Port-au-Prince casino.

Pictured: Like many places in the Caribbean, Hispaniola was for many decades a gambling and frolicking hotspot for the wealthy. 

9th Way to Discover Haiti 's culture: Artistry

One way to learn more about a culture is read the stories told by its people through their song, art and literature. Since a picture says 1000 words I wanted to share with you the works of 2 of the most acclaimed Haitian Artists:

Philomé Obin (July 20, 1892 - August 1986)
Philomé Obin was a Haitian painter. He was arguably the greatest of all Haitian artists - his main rival for that accolade is fellow painter Hector Hyppolite.

Philomé Obin was born in Cap-Haïtien, the third child of Mr. and Mrs. Obénard Obin. He received rudimentary instruction in drawing as a boy and produced his first known painting in 1908. He was still working at his art three-quarters of a century later.

Most of the paintings of Obin’s first half-century - often on cardboard, sometimes on masonite - are lost. They were, in any event, unappreciated by middle-class Haitians who preferred works that aped French paintings; they did not value Obin’s representations of Haitian street scenes or his visions of Haitian history.Through the eyes of a painter.

Rigaud Benoit 
A native of Port-au-Prince, Benoit had been a shoemaker, musician, and taxi driver before making his living as a painter. He had also supplemented his income by painting pottery, pieces he rarely signed or acknowledged.

Benoit was an early member of the Haïtian art movement known as Naive Art, so-called because of its members' limited formal training. The movement was first recognized and promoted by the Centre d'Art, founded in 1944 by the American Quaker and World War II conscientious objector Dewitt Peters.

According to a widely repeated story, Benoit was working as Peters's chauffeur in 1944 when he saw some of the first works displayed at the Centre d'Art. He immediately decided he could do as well as any of the featured artists. Late in life Benoit denied that tale, insisting that he had merely visited the Centre out of curiosity before submitting his first works to Peters. His paintings were immediately among the Centre's most popular.

In the early 1950s Benoit was one of a handful of artists asked to decorate the interior of the Cathedral of Sainte Trinité; his great mural, Nativity, stands above the high altar. (The Catholic archbishop had—to his subsequent regret—denied permission for "mere Haitians" to decorate the Roman cathedral. The Episcopal bishop eagerly consented to the project. On seeing the result he exclaimed "Thank God!, they painted Haitians.")

Some of Benoit's later work was surrealist, though he continued to produce scenes of Haitian life—narrative scenes—until his death.

The tradition of artistry is still alive and well in Haiti. Later this week, we will feature an organization dear to our hearts which created a platform for Haitian art to be purchased around the world.

BONUS: #12days12ways GIVEAWAY!!! Hope and A Future Concert + EXCLUSIVE GUEST PASSES

At F.W.A.C. we know how much you love free stuff!!! So, to show how much we love you and make sure you don't miss out on the best concert of the year, we are giving away 2 tickets and 2 Exclusive Guest Passes to the 2nd Annual Hope and A Future Benefit Concert for Haiti with performances by Haitian band sensation CaRiMi, Grammy Award winner Chrisette Michele AND Multi-platinum recording artist Oleta Adams.
The lucky winner will get 2 tickets to the concert and a special SECRET surprise for the winner and their guest. You don't want to miss this event!

Check out the PROMO video!

You only have until January 11, 12:01am EST to enter. So enter TODAY!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Concert details:
Location: Brooklyn College Center for the Performing Arts, Walt Whitman Theater
Date & Time: Friday, January 13, 2012 at 8pm

Looking forward to hanging out with you F.W.A.C. style!

xoxo

7th Way to Discover Haiti: Food... Food... Food...

One way of learning more about a culture or country is to taste the authentic delicacies and traditional dishes enjoyed by the people. I love food and I wanted to learn more about Haitian food so I went on a search, I hope you enjoy what I have found, I even have a recipe for you to try to prepare one of the many delicious Haitian foods.


Did you know?

In Haiti, you find several dishes and recipe variations. Each region has a special dish, like the famous "Tonmtonm" recipe - a mix of breadfruit with okra from Jeremie city.

No matter the city's recipe, though, rice remains a big part of the country's diet. Haitians reserve some rice dishes, like "Diri ak djondjon" - black rice - for special occasions such as weddings or christenings. I just had it for the first time today. The mini shrimps that were mixed in made this dish divine.

Another very popular haitian dish is griot - fried cubed pork. I included the recipe for you to enjoy.

Haitian Griot Recipe

Ingredients
2 pounds pork shoulder, chopped in cubes
Juice of 3 sour oranges
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of chopped chives
pinch of thyme
1/4 teaspoon of parsley
1/4 teaspoon green pepper
1 Jamaican pepper

Directions
1. Take the sour oranges, cut them in half. Squeeze them and put the juice in one cup. Don't throw away the squeezed halves, since you'll need them soon.

2. Place the pork, cut in cubes, in one bowl. Add salt to the meat.

3. Now, use the squeezed pulp to rub the meat, so you get it soaked in a salty, zesty orange mixture. In some recipes, they'll tell you to let it marinate overnight; but all Haitian grandmas will tell you that if you want your Griot right away, you got to take the proper measures for that.

4. Rinse the meat with water (Please a little trust, here! If you skip this part, your griot might end up too salty.)

5. Put the washed-pork meat, the orange juice (Yes, remember you squeezed it in a cup, right?), the salt and all the remaining ingredients from the list in a pan. Leave the Jamaican pepper uncut since you don't want it to be too spicy.

6. Add enough water to boil everything. (Not too much water, just enough to cover the meat in the pan)

7. Dab the boiled pork meat with a knife, if it pulls out easily, it's a sign that the meat is ready.

8. Drain everything.

9. Now, get ready to start the griot process! Place the pork chunks in some heated oil and simmer for half an hour over low, covered heat.

10. Then, uncover and turn up the heat until the chunks dry up and show a golden color.

11. Serve hot.

If you want to leave the cooking to the pros, then check out these Haitian restaurants in LA, NY and Miami:

Le Soleil Restaurant
21 reviewsRating Details
877 10th Ave
(between 57th St & 58th St)
New York, NY 10019

Tap Tap Haitian Restaurant
819 5th Street,
Miami Beach, FL 33139

Tigeorges' Chicken
309 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

6th Way to Discover Haiti: Community2Community

In the past couple of days, we've shared with you some of the highlights of Haiti's history. We then fast forwarded and landed on the event that put Haiti at the forefront of everyone's mind for a time. In 2010, Haiti was on every TV set, twitter feed and on everyone's lips. The misfortune of the Haitian people became a hot topic! But soon enough the reporters went home, the cameramen boarded the planes and Haiti was left to fend for itself ... but some people remained.

In 2011, F.W.A.C. was honored to meet and support an organization called Community2Community (C2C). Over the past several months we've connected, raised awareness, hosted 'Petite Fête' events and rocked 'God Save Haiti' t-shirts together all for the sake of one cause: Haiti.

C2C is a service organization dedicated to rebuilding communities in Haiti by working with the community. C2C founder Marie Eusebe firmly believes in partnering and empowering the locals in the restoration process. It is their land after all! Marie was born in Haiti but her family emigrated to the United States when she was six years old. Although she left Haiti, Haiti never left her heart. When the earthquake occurred a fire stirred up inside her. She had to do something. She resigned from her job at American Express and started Community2Community.

Since then, Marie and her team have been working tirelessly along side the Haitian people to target their needs. From the conversations they've had these 3 initiatives transpired: Water, Road and School.

Here is what they are up to now. MUST SEE

To find out more visit their website: Community2Community

Next Post: 2nd Annual Hope and A Future Benefit Concert by C2C. This is the hottest ticket in town and we have a surprise for you! Stay tuned!

5th Way to Discover Haiti: Share in their struggles

On January 12, 2011 the world was appalled by the updates they received about Haiti. The earthquake that ravaged Port-Au-Prince touched everyone's heart and sent everyone into a whirlwind of giving. Money was donated, money was pledged, products were created, concert, parties and a panoply of fundraisers were held but a year later this is what was found:

Share your thoughts:

@FashionWACNY

Facebook

#12days12ways #Pray4Haiti

4th Way to Discover Haiti: Remember the earthquake and never forget

Before the earthquake hit on January 12, 2010, living in Haiti was already a struggle for many. After the earthquake life there became practically impossible. Do you remember this?

Video courtesy of the Associated Press

Tell us where you were when you heard the news:

@FashionWACNY

Facebook

#Pray4Haiti #12days12ways

3rd Way to Discover Haiti: Historical Facts - After the Independence

Did you know? - After the revolution, the country was crippled by years of war, its agriculture devastated, its formal commerce nonexistent.

- Haiti was forced to make reparations to French slaveholders in 1825 in the amount of 150 million francs, reduced in 1838 to 60 million francs, in exchange for French recognition of its independence and to achieve freedom from French aggression. This indemnity bankrupted the Haitian treasury.

- The Haitian Revolution was influential in slave rebellions in the United States and British colonies.

- The Haitian revolution brought the slavery question to the forefront of US politics, and the resulting intensification of racial divides and sectional politics ended the idealism of the Revolutionary period.

- Many of the white and free people of color who left Saint-Domingue for the United States settled in Southern Louisiana, adding many new members to its French-speaking, mixed-raced, and African populations.

- Because Napoleon was unable to regain control over Haiti, he gave up hope of rebuilding a French New World empire.

- The loss of revenues from Saint-Domingue's sugar plantations made maintenance of Louisiana impractical. Similarly, as a result of debts incurred fighting the slave revolt, Napoleon was forced to sell the American government its territories in Louisiana at a heavily discounted price.

- Such a large-scale slave rebellion was never repeated.

2nd Way to Discover Haiti: Historical Facts - Before the Independence

Did you know?

- Haiti was once a French colony (1659-1804) called Saint-Domingue on the island of Hispaniola.

- In 1789 Saint-Domingue produced 60 percent of the world's coffee and 40 percent of the world's sugar imported by France and Britain.

- The white planters were outnumbered by the black slaves working for them ten to one. Because of this disparity they were constantly afraid the slaves would rebel.

- When slaves attempted to rebel through leaving the plantations or disobeying their masters, they were subjected to violence in the form of whippings, and more extreme torture such as castration or burning.

- The Haitian revolution eventually started in 1791 and by 1792 the slaves controlled a third of the island.

- One of the most successful black commanders was Toussaint L'Ouverture, a self-educated former domestic slave.

- On January 1, 1804, from the city of Gonaïves, Dessalines officially declared the former colony's independence, renaming it Haiti.

1st Way to Discover Haiti: Happy Independence Day!!!

January 1st is a very special day especially for Haitians. While everyone is celebrating the New Year, Haitian everywhere celebrate freedom. After over 10 years of revolt, it was on January 1st in 1804, that Dessalines declared Haiti a free republic. Haitians were the first slaves to defeat their owners. This is why the Haitian story is often used to represent strength, resilience and freedom and for good reason.

Did you know?

From the hundreds of revolutions that occurred in the New World, the American revolution and the Haitian revolution are the only ones that were successful in leading to permanent independence!

January 12, 2012 will mark 2 years since the earthquake ravaged this beautiful country. Join us as we dedicate 12 days to discover Haiti in 12 ways. Interact with us on Twitter and Facebook by using #12days12ways #Pray4Haiti and #Haiti hashtags.

Day 8: #12daysofGIVING - Heart of Haiti

Heart of Haiti Pendant, Heart of the Goddess, $10

On January 12, 2010 Haiti was hit with a 7.0 magnitude earthquake which killed hundreds of thousands in just 35 seconds. Those who survived the disaster were left with no homes, no food, no water and no hope. And then Heart of Haiti came along. Heart of Haiti in partnership with Haitian artists and American designers created opportunities for Haitian craftsmanship to be recognized around the world. Thanks to the beautiful products being sold at Macy's many Haitian artisans have a good source of income and restored hope for the future.

Become an advocate for Haiti, this country which was once called the Pearl of the Antilles by showing your better half how much you care. Give her the Heart of the Goddess Pendant by Heart of Haiti as a symbol of your love. This metal pendant was handcrafted by an Haitian artisan in La Croix des Bouquet, Haiti (see video). This gift will not only be special because it came from you but also because it will help an artist provide a better life for his family. This gift can be one of the many presents you will shower your sweetheart with.

We also love Rachel Roy's designs for the cause.

Flying solo this Christmas? Heart of Haiti has an extensive collection of jewelry and home décor items that will be sure to please the other special people in your life.

Heart of Haiti, Macy's and Rachel Roy are SO Fashion With A Conscience!

For more information on Heart of Haiti visit their tumblr: Heart of Haiti

For more #giftsthatgiveback shopping ideas visit: Macy's and Rachel Roy.