PEP: Mr. Antoine, I know the past several weeks have been quite challenging for you, so I am grateful for your determination in making this PEP interview possible. 
 
For those unfamiliar, what is HaitiXchange (HX)?  What is it all about?

PA: In a nutshell, HaitiXchange (www.haitixchange.com) is a place where people can find out about Haiti, discuss topics related to Haiti, and meet people with similar interests in helping Haiti get back on its two feet. We try to keep the articles interesting, the forum discussions are always lively, and there is even an online store which is doing quite well.

 

PEP: I am a member and have admired the scope and caliber of topics and information shared.  What compelled you to want to launch a website with this particular focus?

 

PA: Wow! HX sort of came about by accident. I've always been into filmmaking, and multimedia. When I went to M.I.T., which is where I got my undergraduate degree, the internet was just starting up. People didn't really know what it was, what it would become, or what it would enable them to do. I didn't know a lot about it either.

 

Once I really understood it, I immediately knew that this was what I was supposed to do with my life, and I made a conscious decision to learn as much about Internet technology as possible. At that time, however, I was a Hip-Hop head!  I was very heavily into rap music ever since I heard "Rapper's Delight" as a teenager. I was one of those kids who knew all the lyrics to every rap song that came out.

 

So, at the time, the natural thing for me to do was to start a Hip-Hop web site. In 1992, I started a site called Fresh Finesse. It was one of the first Hip-Hop web sites on the internet, and got me some good press in Wired Magazine, as well as The Source.

 

However, I've always grown up appreciating my Haitian roots. My mother had even put me into a bilingual elementary school in Brooklyn (PS 189) where I was able to learn French, Creole, and Haitian culture and history.

 

Although I went to Haiti several times as a child, during the '80s and 90s, things over there got too rough, and I didn't get a chance to visit at all, even though I really wanted to. Haiti for me was really shrouded. I didn't have a good idea of what was going on over there most of the time. I didn’t know how the people lived, and every once in a while, there would be an 11-second clip on the news, whenever there was a hurricane or some political unrest.

 

I wanted to see Haiti for myself, and eventually got the chance in 2001 when a friend of mine moved back to Port-au-Prince. When I got there, I was overwhelmed and had an urge to share what I saw with people back in the States. HX started as a one-page website. When I realized that it was getting hits, and that people were actually interested, I decided to take it to the next level.

PEP: Were you born in Brooklyn?   

PA: I was born in Paris, France. Back in the day, the "in thing" for parents in Haiti who had the means, was to send their children to study in France. My mother was very industrious and convinced my grandparents to let her go study. After she finished her studies, she just didn't go back to Haiti since the prospects for her to do something serious there were limited. She eventually married my father, whom she had been engaged to in Haiti. Somewhere in the mix, I popped out!

 

I moved to the U.S. from France exactly on my second birthday (of course I don't remember this, but this is what I've been told). Although I have family in France and visit often, I really grew up in Brooklyn, which is where I consider home. Mentally and culturally, I realize that I am more American than anything else.

 
PEP: As we know, some sites prosper on the worldwide web while others never find a following and are lost. When or how did you know that you were on to something here? What was your first indication that HX was impacting visitors, which in turn was potentially changing the negative perceptions of Haiti?

 

PA: The first time I realized we were really having an effect was in 2003 when we organized a trip to Haiti for the 2004 Bicentennial of the Haitian flag. Even though the situation in Haiti was volatile, there was a lot of interest. I got to Haiti earlier than the people on the tour and greeted them at the airport.

 

One of the tour members was a young, Haitian-American woman who had never been to Haiti before because her parents and everyone around her were always talking about how dangerous it was. When she got off the plane, she was in tears and that really touched me. It showed me what kind of power sites like HX really have.

 

Since then, I've received many emails from people who have said that they decided to visit Haiti after visiting HaitiXchange. It really touches me whenever this happens.

PEP: What are some of the features one may find on HX that they will not find anywhere else on the web?

 

PA: When the site first started, many of the features were unique. But now, there are a lot of websites, and it's relatively easy to add a forum, radio station, or chat room to your site; so from that point of view, HX isn't as unique as it used to be.

 

Where HX is unique, however, is in the way it engages the visitors and in the articles we post. We always try to keep it interesting. This shows, since many visitors are very loyal and have been on board for years.

 

Another thing that is different is that we don't only cater to Haitian Americans, but rather to anyone who is interested in Haiti. We've even started to post many articles in English, French, and Creole in order to get the largest readership possible. 
 
PEP:  What is your vision for the site?

 

PA: I used to say that I wanted it to become a sort of Haitian CNN, but I don't really see that any more. It will become more of a true link between Haiti and the rest of the world. I have a lot of plans, which I won't discuss in detail, but it is suffice to say that the plans are grand!

  
PEP: I understand the need to not disclose too much too soon, but any new direction or features on the horizon that you can share with us?

 

PA: Yes, we will be getting more into multimedia development and video in an effort to become a veritable Internet Television/Radio station. I think that in a year's time, I will have quit my boring 9 to 5 job, and will be doing this full time!  
 
PEP: Speaking of which, what do you do career-wise?

 

PA: I work for a major bank in their Technology Delivery department as a Lead Project Manager. Most of my projects deal with web and Internet technology, so HaitiXchange has always been an extension of what I do on the job. I often find that I will use tactics that work on HX on projects that I work on for the bank.  
 
PEP: How do you balance your career with management of the site, including all the correspondent work that you do?

 

PA: Although HX is a "labor of love", in order to keep it up we have to bring funds in. We have a small staff in Haiti and many volunteers and freelancers in the U.S. The online store http://shop.haitixchange.com/productcart/pc/home1.asp, where we sell art, books, Haitian flag merchandise, movies and music, has been doing well. We are also exploring many additional revenue streams both in Haiti and abroad.

 

It's very hard going to work and maintaining HaitiXchange. I always tell people that I work at the bank from 9 to 5, then I work on the website from 5 to 9 (or many times to 1 or 2 in the morning!)  
 
PEP: Sounds like you are pretty consumed around the clock! What about hobbies? A family? 
 
PA: I'm not married, so I just ‘adopt’ my niece and nephew. I love going to the movies and doing regular stuff, but I have to admit that most of my time is spent on HaitiXchange-related activities. That's actually not bad since it enables me to travel a lot and go to interesting events and concerts.

 
PEP: Which brings me to my next question:  You feature wonderful personal dialogues with rising and influential Haitians doing amazing things within our community, in addition to great on-site summaries of events that promote the Haitian culture, which always include numerous pictures.  Did you fall into reporting events and interviewing others or was that always a sort of interest or passion of yours?

 

PA: It's very interesting that you ask that because becoming a reporter was never my intention. One day I woke up and realized I had become a journalist. I actually don't really enjoy taking pictures or shooting video, but I love the final result. Because of this, I will be taking some journalism courses to make sure I'm doing everything as correctly as possible.  
 
PEP: How is all this sustained?  Does the site’s existence depend on donations to keep it up and running?

 

PA: HX is maintained from the money in my pocket, as well as the funds that come in through the online store.

 

Although a lot of people visit, it's difficult to get people to really participate in the maintenance of the site. People have their own agendas which don't always match the goals I am trying to achieve. It's taken a while, but I can now say that HX has a core group of volunteers/employees who help it move along.  
 
PEP: Moments ago you shared with us your love of music.  I'd like to ask your opinion of a relatively new genre within the Haitian Music Industry (HMI) exploding onto the scene - the Kreyol Hip Hop Movement (KHHM).  What are you views on HMI and KHHM?

 

PA: I love Kreyol Hip Hop since, as I mentioned, I used to be a Hip-Hop head. I think it's only natural that this music genre would make it to Haiti and be embraced by young people over there. I was recently in Haiti for Carnival and was amazed by the group Roc-Fam and the reaction to their music. Except for the Kreyol, the groove was just like at a block party anywhere in urban U.S. 
 
PEP: Any current involvements with KHHM? 

 

PA: We actually were the first website to interview Mecca aka Grimo and the Shepherds. We continue to do pieces on Kreyol Hip Hop, and even recently directed and edited a video (Twa/Set) for Bennchoummy. Watch for a lot more of those types of projects in the future. However, we have to be careful because we don't want people to identify HaitiXchange as just a Haitian Hip-Hop site.

 

We will also be working very closely with www.DaHaitiansAreComing.com managed by Johny Jacques.  
 
PEP: I know you had traveled to Haiti with Haiti Lumiere de Demain, a non-profit organization based in Connecticut, a couple years ago…How was that experience for you?

 

PA: That trip was one of my best trips to date. We went to Ile de la Gonave (which I had never been to before) to help with Haiti Lumiere de Demain's outreach. I'm looking forward to going back.  

I actually brought back a dead field mouse in my bag! No joke. I started unpacking and there it was. At first I was mad, but then I thought to myself, "You just got back from rural Haiti. What did you expect?" My friends keep on joking that the mouse must have been looking for a Visa. (Laughing)

 

But seriously, that trip was my first trip back to Haiti after having some unpleasant experiences when I was in Haiti during Aristide's ousting. I barely made it out of the country amongst burning tires and bonfires, and had even been held up by so-called chimeres at one point. It took me over a year to go back. When I finally did return, it was a completely different and calmer Haiti.

 

This trip taught me that Haiti is ever-changing and because of this, we should never give up hope.  
 
PEP: When was the last time you had visited Haiti?

 

PA: The last time I was in Haiti was in February for Carnival. I'm over there at least three times a year and will be going back in a couple of weeks. I don't feel that I can successfully run a site about Haiti without immersing myself often. You need to get the full experience.

PEP: What inspires you, Mr. Antoine, to continue doing what you are doing?

 

PA: My father always asks me, "kote ou jwènn folie Haiti sa-a?" [“Where do you get this craziness for Haiti?”]. Although he respects and enjoys the fact that I am so into my Haitian roots, he doesn't understand where I get it from since I wasn't born there and have never lived in Haiti.

 

If I didn't think Haiti had a chance and that I was wasting my time, I would never do what I do. My only concern is that I see significant change before I leave this earth.  
 
PEP: Ten years from now, where do you see yourself? 
 
PA: Chilling behind a fat desk, directing HX operations internationally. (Laughing) 
 
PEP: What can we look forward to next from you?

PA: Well, we're working on another trip which will be announced soon. The time is right and we want to take advantage of it.  
 
PEP: What advice would you like to leave with our readers who are interested in taking action in support of important causes affecting Haiti but are afraid that their contribution won't make a difference?

 

The only thing I can say is to stay positive. If you just consider Haiti a lost cause, then both you and Haiti lose. You lose your roots, and Haiti looses someone who can potentially provide a lot of help. With the availability of a medium like the Internet, information is literally at your fingertips. If you cannot find something to get involved in, another site or opportunity is just a click away. If you still can't find something, then make up your own program to help Haiti out on your own terms.

 

Pa lage!!  

PEP: As your slogan reads, “Peyi nou pap tonbe!” We thank you for your time, Mr. Antoine!

 

PA: You are very welcome.