Posted by Ray Boyle  02/27/2014 at 5:06 pm

The second floor Green Library display cases currently showcase 1,800 years of history on one of the Caribbean’s most misunderstood islands. “Haiti: An Island Luminous” also shows what one FIU student can create with the right motivation.

The exhibit, on display until Feb. 28 and permanently available online, is the creation of doctoral candidate Adam Silvia MA ’09 and FIU’s Digital Library of the Caribbean director Brooke Wooldridge MA ’07. They wanted to construct a complete and functional database of Haitian history.

In 2009, Silvia – who is writing his dissertation on Haiti – came to Wooldridge with a problem. FIU’s Digital Library of the Caribbean was overflowing with information on Haiti, but needed context to be understood.

She initially challenged him to provide 40 PowerPoint slides of context, but Silvia realized that 40 slides would not be enough. So he came up with a different approach.

“The task was to take raw archival content and present it in a way that you do not have to be a historian to approach, interpret and understand it,” Silvia said.

The final product is a chronological tale of Haiti from its indigenous beginnings to the devastating earthquake of 2010.

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Blacks in Philanthropy – South Florida Network (BPSFN) is a network of professionals employed in the field of philanthropy either within an organization or independently (as a consultant). The network consists of fundraisers, program officers, foundation professionals, marketing and communication professionals, non-profit executives, institutional advancement professionals, special event experts and philanthropists. The group was created to foster professional multi-cultural networking opportunities and facilitate interaction among its members to promote and encourage multicultural philanthropy in South Florida.

Today, BPSFN conducts several community programs that provide: 1) professional development opportunities for fundraisers from diverse backgrounds, 2) capacity building opportunities for non-profits and 3) social and professional networking opportunities. Within this framework, BPSFN partners with the AFP Miami Chapter on its diversity initiatives by conducting an annual diversity workshop for the South Florida community.

The 75+ member network also includes professionals at various institutions and non-profits around South Florida: University of Miami, Florida International University, Florida Memorial University, Barry University, Baptist Health, Camillus House, Urban League of Broward County, the United Way of Broward County, the Miami Foundation, the Community Foundation of Broward, Miami Art Museum, American Cancer Society, United Negro College Fund, Virginia Key Beach, Miami Dade College, local consultants and many more. The network is very diverse in the types of organizations represented, ethnic backgrounds and years in the profession.

Mr. Steven J. Green, GFF Chairman; former US Ambassador to Singapore, Honorary Consul-General of Singapore in Miami and Special Advisor to the Singapore Government receive the Distinguished Friends of Singapore Public Service Award on February 14 in Singapore for his invaluable contribution to the Republic of Singapore.

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Throughout Black History Month, Alt.Latino has been bringing you episodes that focus on different aspects of being black and Latino. This week's show is about one island and two countries: Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Race has played an enormous role in the island's history. Haiti is often described as a cradle of black pride in the Americas, so as we celebrate Black History Month, we want to take a minute to reflect on the country's importance.

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