I Am Little Haiti Opening Reception

Every day another media outlet comes into Miami’s Little Haiti to unlock the secrets of “gentrification”: the shrinking radius of the neighborhood; the corrupt politicians homing in on monies meant to sustain community; the buildings knocked down; the empty lots; the sounds of yesteryear fading away, and so on. Some ask: “where is Little Haiti?” or “does it go beyond a few blocks radius?” or “do Haitian folks still reside here?”.

This exhibition, I Am Little Haiti, curated by Carl-Philippe Juste and Rebecca Friedman, PHD, is the fifth chapter in a multiple-year project by Florida International University’s Commons for Justice: Race, Risk, Resilience project, led by the Extreme Events Institute. As Carl Juste, long-time resident, photojournalist, and exhibition curator explains: “Little Haiti cannot be erased. It is not that fragile. Now, more than ever, given the tentative nature of our democracy, it is the time to be brave, to embrace what is and to celebrate it. I am Little Haiti and I invite you to join me.”

I Am Little Haiti – on view at Green Space Miami from May 11-August 10, 2024 – imagines the beauty and depth of Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood and community across time and through space with layered, multi-vocal and multidisciplinary storytelling. And ultimately, by forging this connection between the Little Haiti on the gallery walls and the narratives of those who walk through and see, we all become part of the story.