The earthquake in Haiti brought devastation to an already-impoverished country. Allison Kilkenny wrote:

The media is missing a valuable opportunity to explain why Haiti is so poor. Once again, Americans are receiving a hefty dose of miseducation. They are learning that Haiti is simply a poor country where bad things happen all the time. In reality, the country has a rich, fascinating story, but unfortunately its history is also dominated by western exploitation.

We check in with actor/activist Danny Glover and Marie St. Cyr, vice president of the Long Island Association of AIDS Care, on the situation in Haiti. St. Cyr was the Director of the Haitian Coalition on AIDS in New York City, and her family is in Port-au-Prince and Petionville, Haiti. Glover has been working on a film about Haitian independence hero Toussaint L'Ouverture.

We also bring you some hope from the Welfare Poets, performing Sak Pasé: "A cry for liberty and freedom for a nation that has contributed so much to the world; Haiti."

If you'd like to donate to help the relief efforts, we suggest Partners in Health, which has clinics in Haiti, asking for medical supplies, and MADRE, where St. Cyr and our own Laura Flanders are on the board. You can also go through the Red Cross has already allotted funds to relief effort; you can give money via link or text “Haiti” to #90999 to give $10, or go to ArtistsForPeaceAndJustice.com.