Louisiana artist Tina Girouard, a consultant to the show, described it more succinctly: "This is the King Tut show of Vodou," she said. "The difference is that Louisiana has a profound cultural connection to Haiti. When I was in Haiti I saw street parades that looked a lot like jazz funerals, raised tombs in graveyards, sequined and beaded costumes that resembled those worn by Mardi Gras Indians.
"One day, someone served me something that they described as an unusual peasant dish from Haiti. Then they brought me a bowl with rice, crab, okra - in other words, it was gumbo without the file!"
Beneath their shared surface features, New Orleans and Haiti also share a cultural disposition to create hybrid forms. Jazz, that quintessential New Orleans creation, blends African and European forms with the same ease that a Vodou priest incorporates Masonic emblems, Rosicrucian beliefs, Catholic saints, African gods and the practice of spirit possession.
Cosentino traces that syncretic disposition back to Africa.
"Most of the slaves brought to Haiti came from African cultures whose hallmark was an openess to everything that came their way in the realm of religion and culture.
Yesterday the Preservation Resource Center put up this short post about Haitian and New Orleanian shared architectural influences.
Given, even, the relatively little I do know about it, I don't think it's too much of a reach for me to say that Haiti is a place whose history is intimately intertwined with our own and whose culture exhibits a number of compelling commonalities with ours. But even if these things were not so, it would not change the fact that the people who live there are in terrible need at the moment and that alone should be enough for us to concern ourselves with.
I'm not about to tell anyone what to do but if it does happen that you are interested in donating something to the earthquake relief effort, please take a look at this guide to choosing appropriate vectors for your charity, particularly this part.
2. Do NOT Recommend
Collecting donated goods
Don't take up collections of donated goods to send over. Donated goods can clog up ports delaying other items from clearing quickly. They may also not be appropriate for the climate, religion or culture. Please do not take up collections of medicine, clothing, baby formula, or food for shipment.
Showing up to volunteer
I don't recommend going into the area to volunteer. Even if you have a specialized trade such as a doctor or an architect your credentials may not be recognized in that country. In addition you may not find an international charity able to take you on for liability reasons and the fact that you don't have prior disaster experience and training.
Taking over goods or money to hand out
Don't go over there yourself with money or goods you've collected from friends and family. Although well intentioned, this can actually make the situation worse as it adds to the confusion, diverts resources, and may lead to aid dependency.
Giving to charities started immediately after the disaster
I do not recommend giving to charities that are started right after a disaster unless the founder has considerable development or disaster relief experience. While good intentioned, charities that do not understand disaster relief can get in the way of other relief efforts and makes coordination even more difficult than it is already.
Giving without verifying the organization is not a fraud
After the tsunami there were several fake charities created, in Thailand someone came around to one of the permanent housing area and took photos and then posted them as their own. Donors should verify that the nonprofit is real before giving. Google the exact name - be careful that they haven't used a name that is almost identical to a well known charity - if the organization has been in operation for a while there should be other links to conferences their staff have attended, newspaper articles written about them, etc...
If you want to give something but don't know where to begin, Gambit's David Winkler-Schmit compiled a short list of sure bets here. Charity Navigator is another helpful place to research your options. I'm not sure how I feel about donating by text message, which seems to be a popular choice today, but since I pay my phone bill by check, it does seem like a convenient way to cut the credit leeches out of the transaction.
Oh and also fuck Pat Robertson.
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