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Amie Evans, Cara James, and Nick Dillon

Interview Log

 

  • Beginning--Clip 9/Part 1(2:49)

    • Bellas, Haiti

    • Grew up in the capital

    • Raised by grandmother

      • Mother didn’t have opportunities

      • Has two other  brothers

      • Father in US

        • Came undocumented

      • Grandmother passed in 1991

        • So he went back to capital to live with mother and spent a few years there

        • She was working at factory-$20-30 a day...hard to manage with 3 kids

      • Mother sent him to his uncle

        • Was an professor

        • Paid for school for bernard

      • Spent a year at one point with one pair of shoes

      • Would walk miles just to buy books

      • 2000...father applied somehow for Bernard to come to US (6:15)

        • Only met him twice...1995 and when he came here in 2000

        • His father wanted him to work at the factories

          • But when he was in Haiti, education was ALWAYS 1 priority

      • Went to Hope High (8:11)

        • Then sent him to Central High

        • Carried a similar attitude

      • Turning 18...father kicked him out of his house (8:40) (18:07)

        • “Just imagine…”

        • The reason was because of birds (9:58)

        • His little brother was born here

        • Haitians born in the US are given more respect than those who were born in Haiti

        • 27 second street is where his father lived

      • DCYF (11:35) talks about education

        • Teachers would ask him what was happening because they could tell something was going on but he didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to get his father in trouble.

        • Father wouldn’t get him food but brother would (12:57)

        • Slept in strangers car (14:08)

          • Lots of kids were into violence and gangs on second st but he did not want to be involved

      • Asked father for money to register at CCRI (16:56)

        • Didn’t have money so had to take a year off because he also couldn’t get financial aid

      • CCRI (19:00)

        • Graduate in 2009 with associates

      • Transferred to RWU for criminal justice and got bachelors in 2011

      • Masters from RWU as well

  • Clip 11 “what was it like once you got here”

    • Stayed above all of the drugs and violence

    • Friends made him smoke (1:28)

    • Came from a family that valued education a lot so he did not want to get in trouble

    • Spent more time with aunts and uncles than mother (3:27)

  • Clip 12

    • 2010 - collecting items from CCRI to send to Haiti

    • 2011 - launched a website called newsday for Haiti

      • Wants to provide people effective news

      • No Bridges for Haitian Success - launched the nonprofit in grad school (2 minute mark)

    • Needs to have discussion with other Dominican community to exchange ideas

    • Asked to speak at a higher level about the immigration process

    • Wants to help people who graduate from high school that don’t know the process (5:20)

    • Works with Pastor/Priest to let them know what he is doing (6:40)

  • Clip 13 (Population, How often people arrive)

    • In RI there is a high population of Haitian and Dominican population

    • Roger Williams is not supporting the work that we (Haitians) are doing

  • Clip 14 (what do you want people to know about Haiti and when are you going back?)

    • Beautiful country with a lot of rich history

    • Media plays a big role

    • “I wish you knew the resources we have…” (1:30)

    • 1 doctor for 17000 people

    • No transportation for medical emergencies

    • Believe in hard work and facing catastrophic conditions

    • “We are a strong nation…” (3:25)

    • Because of the Hurricane we are organizing a Fundraiser on Saturday from 9AM-3PM in Providence, RI to bring awareness to people (4:20)

    • Once we collect all the items I’ll ship them there and then go there and distribute them (5:30)

    • Education (6:15)

  • Clip 15

    • Not sure what’s going on there (Talking about Karen Billotti??)

  • Clip 16

    • Shoulder shot of Cara with good hand motions from Bernard

  • Clip 17

    • RWU needs to work on the involvement on what they are doing

    • Spoke with ABC News

    • Sent an email to the President of RWU to see if he could get anything from the University to help (no response back)

  • Clip 18

    • Help with Fundraising that he’s doing

    • Needs water for country

    • Dr. Autumn from the University

    • Making it more diverse

  • Clip 19

    • Cara texting Dr. Reynolds

  • Clip 20

    • Links that are helpful for the project

 

 

  1. What point of view is driving this story? What point, central desire for your subject must be conveyed?

  • There is a Haitian/Dominican population here in Rhode Island and he wanted people to know about it

  • Wants people to know that the photos that we typically see of Haiti are not all that Haiti is, there are resources and infrastructure that we do not see

    • BUT there are also a lot of places in Haiti that do need help, we as outsiders need to understand the full perspective of the country

  • Wants us to know that there is a way that we can help

    • Very upset that this university isn’t helping as much as it can be

 

  1. What dramatic question is organizing narrative?

  • This university isn’t doing as much as it could to help and support a successful alumni

  • Wants to stress how much attention that Haiti really does need

 

  1. Identify 5 central moments/themes that must be included and why?

  • His life in Haiti

  • His transition here

  • His advocacy

  • What we can do

  • Call to action

 

 

 

  1. In what order? How will you open the story? Transitions? Close?

  • See response 3

  • Open →  his story about having only one pair of shoes and then introducing himself and who he is (just audio → then music and he will fade in)

  • Then using clip 14 where he discusses the beautiful country and its rich history

  • Following → his upbringing in that beautiful country BUT show the need for help

  • Due to the circumstances in Haiti → share his transition here

  • Close → his education, advocacy, and what we can do

  • Theme: Quest for (accomplishment)

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