lamarr darnell shields

Jan. 12 will mark the nineteenth anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Among the millions of Haitians still homeless and rebuilding their lives are artists — painters, musicians, dancers, writers. On a recent trip to Haiti, I caught up with Jean Appollon and Stephanie Scherpf at the Hotel Oloffson in Port-au-Prince to witness the beauty their work, dance.Jean talked about his home country and its art, its history and future, and how its artists are surviving in the earthquake’s aftermath.Jean Appolon Expressions uses dance to celebrate Haitian cultural expression and empower young people through innovative dance performance and community programs. JAE is one of the few companies in the world to synthesize Haitian folkloric dance and modern technique. As an ambassador of Haiti, and the Haitian, Caribbean and African diasporas, JAE showcases artistic expression of a specific cultural community.JAE is proud to call Boston, with the third largest Haitian population in the U.S., its home. JAE conducts community classes,teen programs, and performances in the Boston area and beyond with the goal of enriching and enlivening communities through authentic cultural programming.Every summer, JAE conducts The Jean Appolon Summer Dance Institute in Port-au-Prince. Sixty young Haitian dancers are selected to participate in a free, high quality dance program directed by Jean Appolon. https://jeanappolonexpressions.orgSupport the show

Some experts say domestic violence is a common thread in mass shootings. Mildred Muhammad, D.C. Sniper John Allen Muhammad's ex-wife, said she knows about the connection first-hand. She joins me in the BalmShelter to describe her living nightmare.It is not just “a” story – it is “one of the many” stories built on the experiences of domestic violence and the depths of its terror. After her children were kidnapped and her inability to go on living without them, she began the silent struggle of looking for them, knowing that if she exposed herself, John Allen Muhammad would locate her and kill her. She was triumphant in her struggle to get through those 18 months of not knowing where her children were and re-gained full custody of them. She fled from her estranged husband and moved to Maryland with the children. She was frightened during the horrific sniper shootings, sat through court proceedings during the trial, and last but not least, began re-gaining her strength to start a non-profit organization, After The Trauma, to assist survivors of domestic violence.Support the show