Ph.D. Student Maika Moulite and Sister Crafting the Stories They Wished to See While Growing Up

Maika Moulite, a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Communication, Culture and Media Studies, has partnered with her sister, Maritza, to author two young adult novels. The two novels, “Dear Haiti, Love Alaine,” and “One of the Good Ones,” follow two different stories related to the Black experience.

“Dear Haiti, Love Alaine,” follows the journey of a high schooler who visits her family in Haiti after being suspended from the elite private school she attends.

“In her family’s homeland for the first time, Alaine is immediately put to work at her aunt’s startup helping native children in need. Alaine meets locals, interacts with kids connected to donors, and is shown the ropes by Jason, a fellow intern whose charming ways are making work a bit more challenging. What she doesn’t expect to find are letters, articles, emails and diary entries that she compiles into a final project that will not only save her academic standing in school, but also help her finally know the mother she’s never really understood.” Maika and Maritza Moulite

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“One of the Good Ones,” debuting in January, “is an incredibly timely story about a young social activist who dies under mysterious circumstances while in police custody and the journey her surviving sisters embark on, using ‘The Negro Motorist Green Book’ as their guide.” says Moulite.

Q1). Tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to where you are today, as an author and Ph.D. student studying media studies at Howard.

A1). I am originally from Miami, the eldest of four sisters and daughter to Haitian immigrants. Prior to becoming a Bison, I worked in digital media. Throughout my marketing career, it’s been very evident to me that organizations very rarely understand the impact media has on Black audiences. My curiosity around representation and mass communication has only continued to grow, especially as an author of children’s novels, leading me to my new role as a Ph.D. Student in the Communication, Culture and Media Studies program.

Q2). How has being a graduate student at Howard University had an impact on your writing? How has your media studies program impacted your writing?

A2). I started my Ph.D. studies at Howard University this Fall, but it’s already playing a role in my writing life. My co-author and sister, Maritza, and I are working on our third novel, and I’m so excited about it. I can’t get into details just yet, but what I can share is that we’ll be tackling the intersections of race and class in our next project. As I learn about the various ways that white supremacy has bled into all aspects of media and daily life, I am becoming equipped with the language to properly tackle the issue head on. I’m then able to break this down in a way that is digestible for young audiences. It’s very empowering.

Q3). What inspired you and your sister to become co-authors and write two novels together?

A3). Growing up, my parents were very strict and didn’t allow my sisters and I to watch television during the weekdays. To keep us entertained, our mom and dad would take us to the library every weekend, and my sisters and I would each borrow as many books as we could. We loved so many of these stories but very rarely saw any protagonists who looked like us or shared our experiences. Years later, Maritza and I were talking about this, and we asked ourselves, “Why don’t we write the books we wanted to read when we were younger?” And that’s how “Dear Haiti, Love Alaine” came to be! We’ve kept things going with “One of the Good Ones,” and it’s our hope that we’ll be writing together for many more years to come.

Q4). Your forthcoming novel, “One of the Good Ones,” tells the story of a social activist who dies while in police custody. Her sisters then go on a journey following “The Negro Motorist Green Book.”

a. In your words, what is the significance of writing fiction stories that relate so closely to the Black experience in America?

A4a). When Maritza and I began writing “One of the Good Ones,” we knew that we wanted to discuss how Black women are so often overlooked in society. As we started our research, it became very clear to us that this oppression couldn’t only be told in a contemporary setting. We had to take it back. The roots of injustice in this country run so deep. It felt like a web that we couldn’t untangle, each tug led us to something else that we had to tackle as well. It’s our hope that people will read stories like “One of the Good Ones” and see Black people’s— and more specifically Black women’s—humanity.

b. What does advocacy mean to you and how do you practice that through your art?

A4b). Advocacy looks different for everyone. We all have a skill that we bring to the table that helps us to elevate the people who are so often overlooked. It could be through protesting and marching in the street, donating your time or money or pouring it into your art like I do with my writing. No matter the method, just don’t quit!

Q5). What do you want the Howard community to know about “Dear Haiti, Love Alaine” and “One of the Good Ones”?

A5). “Dear Haiti, Love Alaine” and “One of the Good Ones” are my and Maritza’s attempt to put stories out into the world that center Black people. We can be the love interests. We can be the superheroes. We can be the villains too. We hope that when people read our novels, they see themselves, and maybe even people who are different from them, reflected on the page. No matter the reader, we want everyone to know, Black people are more than enough to be the main characters.

“Dear Haiti, Love Alaine” is available in hardcover wherever books are sold. The paperback is available for pre-order and will be out Dec. 1, 2020.

“One of the Good Ones” is out Jan. 5, 2021 wherever books are sold. Now through Jan. 4, 2021, Inkyard Press will donate $1 to the Center for Black Equity for every pre-order of One of the Good Ones. Be sure to upload your receipt here to be counted.