The Haitian Times

Echoes of Strength: Listening Across the Haitian Diaspora

Introduction

In partnership with The Haitian Times, Cortico supported a national listening tour to surface stories, challenges, and aspirations from Haitian-American communities across the United States. This collaboration used Cortico’s tools and process to bring new depth to the tour, enabling The Haitian Times to capture, analyze, and amplify a wide breadth of Haitian voices and perspectives in their reporting, with a central goal of understanding what unites these communities notwithstanding geographic distance and diverse local contexts.

Challenge: hearing beyond the headlines

Despite a strong presence in American civic and cultural life, Haitian communities across the U.S. often remain underrepresented in national narratives — even within diasporic discourse that tends to center large metro hubs like New York and Miami. The Haitian Times set out to change that by listening deeply and engaging holistically, bringing Haitian-American voices into a cohesive narrative across lesser-known enclaves, and turning that listening into impact.

Solution: conversations that travel

Over the course of a year, The Haitian Times partnered with clergy, entrepreneurs, and local organizations to host recorded small-group conversations in nine cities across eight states. Using Cortico’s platform, they surfaced over 400 powerful highlights on cultural identity, economic empowerment, intergenerational perspectives, and representation. The resulting conversation portal offers a lasting record of Haitian-American voices—capturing the complexities of migration, media narratives, and the enduring ties between Haiti and its diaspora.

“[This process] shifted how we listen. The process helped us move beyond surface narratives to uncover systemic needs. It reminded us that journalism isn’t just about storytelling—it’s about building trust and driving change with the people we serve.

Echoes of Strength showed us that the Haitian diaspora is not monolithic—but we’re united in wanting recognition, connection, and opportunity. Listening became our strategy. The project validated what our community has long felt but rarely sees reflected. It gave us a blueprint grounded in lived experience, and that’s shaping how we expand our coverage and community work.”

-Vania Andre, publisher and editor in chief of The Haitian Times

Result: a platform for connection and change

Echoes of Strength is now live — a vibrant hub of stories, themes, and voices. What began as a listening tour has evolved into a digital space for connection, visibility, and advocacy.