Class Notes

On Shaky Groundthesis, on the religious experience of new Haitianimmigrants in Brooklyn. She traveled toHaiti in 1984 with La Troupe Makandal, a Haitiandrumming group with which she remainsinvolved today, and did field research for herthesis. She went on to get a master’s in AfricanAmerican studies and a doctorate in AmericanStudies, both at Yale.Now, some thirty trips to Haiti later, McAlisterspeaks Creole daily with her family and is arecognized Haiti scholar. She currently is writinga book on the history of the idea that Haitihas been cursed, an opinion voiced by PatRobertson and taken up by many evangelicals.When she ponders whether there is hopefor the country, devastated before the earthquakeand ravaged after, she mentions a songcalled “Dangerous Crossroads,” written by hersister-in-law’s band, Boukman Esperyans. “Haitiis at a dangerous crossroads,” McAlister said.“If the international community adopts thesame practices it has been using, then we’ll see acontinuation of inequality and dysfunction. Ifthe international community changes itsapproach and changes the paradigm, then Haitican move through the crossroads onto a lessdangerous path.”How to change the paradigm? “That,” saidMcAlister, “is the $64,000 question.”—Gail FriedmanA Mentor Makes a DifferenceREBECCA FOX ’66C O N C O R D A C A D E M Y M A G A Z I N E S P R I N G 2 0 1 0When Rebecca Fox ’66 became chiefof staff to University of Miami (UM)President Donna Shalala, the presidenttold her she hoped Fox would havemeaningful contact with students. Fox had noidea that would draw her into a drama involvinga Haitian student’s post-quake hunt forher daughter.Fox mentors about two dozen UM students;all have special circumstances, and she isavailable to them, whatever problems may arise.Long before the January quake, she had workedwith Rachelle Louis-Jeune, an American citizenborn in Haiti.The UM junior had lost both parents whenshe was young and shuttled between relativesin Haiti until one flew her to Miami to meetfamily. She was never picked up at the airport.Discovered by social services, Louis-Jeuneendured fourteen foster homes in six years,dropping out of school so she could earnenough to live on her own. An agency workerencouraged Louis-Jeune to get her GED. Shethen earned A’s at a community college andenrolled at UM. A foster care worker broughther to Fox’s attention.The young woman’s potential was obvious.A model of strong will, she consistently madesmart, executive decisions despite limited education,said Fox. And she persisted throughinordinate misery. “She’s so courageous, soarticulate, and so bright; her hopes for herselfare so admirable,” Fox said. “It’s hard to look ather without marveling about the incredibleresilience of the human spirit.”Louis-Jeune has a daughter, and had askedher grandmother in Haiti to care for the girlwhile she finished her education. When thequake struck, Louis-Jeune was desperate toknow if her daughter was safe and sought24Barbara P. Fernandez /The Miami Herald, 2010Rebecca Fox '66 with Rachelle Louis-Jeune (far right); Louis-Jeune's daughter, Kennedy Skyler Thompkins,and husband, Stephane Jean Charles; and BJ, the cousin Louis-Jeune and Charles plan to adoptFox’s help. “I was so impressed by her and somoved by her long before the Haiti earthquakethat I really wanted to be there to support her,”Fox said.Using her own funds, Fox flew the studentto the Dominican Republic and helped hercover expenses. After an arduous trip to Portau-Prince,Louis-Jeune found her daughter andher husband safe, but also found her nine-yearoldcousin BJ orphaned, his mother crushedin the disaster. Unwilling to let him grow upwithout parents, as she had, Louis-Jeunesecured papers from the U.S. Embassy andbrought him to the U.S.; she and her husbandplan to adopt him.When Louis-Jeune and the two small childrenarrived in Miami, UM helped out: the lawschool’s clinic provided pro bono legal guidance,and the university provided temporaryhousing. “We did what was necessary for thesechildren,” Fox said, adding that the universityhas raised more than $5 million for the UMMiller School of Medicine’s medical operationin Haiti.Today Fox talks with or emails Louis-Jeuneat least once a week, sometimes several times aday. She is confident her mentee will finish hereducation. “There’s absolutely no doubt aboutit,” Fox said. “And she will go to law school.She wants to engage with the foster care system.She had such horrendous experiences, so difficult,that she decided she wanted to do all shecan to change the system.”—Gail Friedman