Haitians in Chicago

Haitians have always had a place in Chicago history. From Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, a Haitian man and the first nonindigenous founder of Chicago; to the Haitian Pavilion built for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition; to Nicole Smith, a gallerist that uplifted Haitian art and artists, Haiti is here to stay in this diverse city.

The book includes information and images featuring Haitian community leaders such as the Illinois attorney general Kwame Raoul and Metz T.P. Lochard, former chief editorial writer for the Chicago Daily Defender newspaper; academics; and topics like immigration and religion. Haitians in Chicago is the one—stop guide to uncovering the history, vibrancy, and resiliency of the Haitian community.

Elsie Hector Henandez, a native of Haiti, founded the Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC) in 2012, located in Uptown, a multicultural area of Chicago. The mission of the museum is to promote and preserve Haitian art, culture, history, and community in Chicago and beyond.

The museum is an institution that holds a wide array of programs and exhibits showcasing Haiti’s rich culture and art as well as its complex history. Here is an unforgettable record of the extraordinary impact Haitians have had, and continue to have, on Chicago.