The Graduate Society of the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University has announced a call for papers for the 8th Annual Herman C. Hudson Symposium, "Black Is...Black Ain't": Reconceptualizing The African Diaspora on March 25-26, 2011. They invite scholars, community activists, artists, and other professionals to interrogate definitions of, theorize about, and imagine new possibilities for the African Diaspora. Submission deadline: January 12, 2011.
"Black Is...Black Ain't": Reconceptualizing The African Diaspora - Call for Papers
An Interdisciplinary Symposium
Held At Indiana University-Bloomington
MARCH 25-26, 2011
Keynote Speaker: Professor Michele Wallace
The African Diaspora has been historically conceived as originating with the Transatlantic Slave trade. However, some would argue that to perceive the African Diaspora only in relation to slavery is to obscure alternative means of conceptualizing the movement of Black bodies.
As scholars committed to interdisciplinary research, the Graduate Society of the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University brings together scholars, community activists, artists, and other professionals to interrogate definitions of, theorize about, and imagine new possibilities for the African Diaspora.
For our eighth annual Herman C. Hudson Symposium, we invite abstracts for papers that will address the following topics:
• What are the practical applications of African American and African Diaspora Studies/Black Studies in the 21st century?
• How do migrations - local, national and international - affect diasporic identities?
• How does contemporary audio/visual media and popular culture help to re-imagine the borders of diasporic communities?
• How do outliers serve as change agents in these communities?
• What are the ways that the academy can engage in constructive dialogues with nonacademic communities?
We also encourage papers that engage these topics through the intersections of race with gender & sexuality; class; disabilities; color, ethnicity, and nationality; marginalization and resistance; rurality and urbanity; performativity; religion and spirituality; environmentalism and sustainability; and public policy and commerce.
We welcome submissions from graduate and undergraduate students, educators, creative artists, and community and cultural workers. Interested panelists should submit a one-page abstract of an unpublished paper, and a one-page CV or a 50-75-word bio. Presenters who are interested in displaying visual art should submit a digital CD of their work along with a one-page abstract discussing the details of their piece(s). Those interested in exhibiting their topic via poster board should follow the guidelines for submitting a paper abstract and visual art. Panel proposals should include a description of the panel's theme, a one-page abstract from each paper, the name of the panel chair, and a one-page CV or a 50-75-word bio for each participant. All abstracts should include the academic or organizational affiliation of each participant.
Submission Deadline: January 12, 2011
Please email abstracts and accompanying information to the attention of Abegunde, Abstract Committee Chair, at hchs@indiana.edu. If submitting a CD, please indicate this in your email. CDs should be mailed to the attention of Abegunde at the address below.
Herman C. Hudson Symposium 2011
Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies
Indiana University
Memorial Hall, M18
1021 E. Third St
Bloomington, IN 47403
