Stateless Discussion Guide The Film: Participants and Key Issues

The Film: Participants and Key Issues

In this collection:

Film Summary

Using This Guide

The Film: Participants and Key Issues

Background Information

Discussion Questions

Taking Action and Resources

Credits and Acknowledgements

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Synopsis

Michèle Stephenson’s documentary Stateless centers grassroots organizer and attorney Rosa Iris as she works with Dominican families of Haitian descent who have been stripped of their citizenship. From Rosa’s encounters with these families and individuals, the tense and complex history between Haiti and the Dominican Republic unearths tensions of politics, identity, race, humanity and belonging - a complex history that impacts present day politics and the safety and privilege of people in both Dominican Republic and Haiti. As the Dominican Nationalist Movement works tirelessly to protect the borders into Dominican Republic to keep Haitians out, those with Haitian ancestry work even harder to legitimize their existence and value in a system and a political structure that keeps to limit their possibilities and humanity.

Key Participants

Michèle Stephenson, Director
Rosa Iris Diendomi, Community Organizer, Lawyer and Activist
Juan Teofilo Murat, Rosa’s cousin and one of the 200,000 people with Haitian ancestry who are now stateless
Gladys Feliz, a member of the national movement group who blames Haitians for problems in the DR

Key Issues

Colonial pasts and systemic racism
Anti-Black Racism and its global impacts
Nationalism and citizenship rights
Statelessness
Borderlands and identity
Human rights and violence
Community resistance
Personal as political
Political Corruption, violence, and State Power
Grassroots Political Organizing
Strands of activism and mobilizing community

Sources

About the author:

Maureen Nicol

Maureen Nicol is a Doctoral student at Columbia University studying Early Childhood Education and the Founder and Director of Camp Story - a pop-up arts camp based on the continent of Africa. Her background is in teaching and education. Maureen is committed to working with young children and educators to ensure every child and teacher knows their value, worth and power. Maureen's research and work interests have always always situated children of color but specifically young Black girls. Her ultimate goal is to make schools safer places for young Black girls with the idea of safety being articulated based on the terms and articulations of Black girls. Maureen is also researching and building curriculum for young girls (specifically young girls of color) on how they can be seen themselves as feminists using arts integration. In her free time, Maureen enjoys going on long walks with her dog, baking and maxing out her library card with good reads.