Representations of Afrolatinidad in Global Perspective

Michele Reid-Vazquez Announcement
Location
Pennsylvania, United States
Subject Fields
Black History / Studies, Cultural History / Studies, Immigration & Migration History / Studies, Latin American and Caribbean History / Studies, Women's & Gender History / Studies

Representations of Afrolatinidad in Global Perspective

University of Pittsburgh

April 11-13, 2019

 

Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Juliet Hooker, Professor of Political Science, Brown University

Dr. Nancy Mirabal, Associate Professor, American Studies, Director of the US Latina/o Studies Program, University of Maryland-College Park

 

 

The intersections of race, ethnicity, and representation have shaped historical and contemporary articulations of Afrolatinidad. As an expression of multivalent identity, both shared and unique, Afrolatinidad informs the experiences of over 150 million Afro-Latin Americans and millions more within diasporic communities in the United States, Canada, Europe, and beyond. The conference seeks to foster an international dialogue that addresses regional, national, and transnational links among the ways Afro-Latin Americans and Afro-Latinxs create, sustain, and transform meanings surrounding blackness in political, social, and cultural contexts.

 

This two-day symposium aims to engage multiple depictions of Afro-Latin Americans and Afro-Latinxs – whether self-fashioned or imposed. The varied portrayals in the past and present reflect the ongoing global realities, struggles, vibrancy, and resiliency of Afro-Latin diasporas throughout the Americas and elsewhere. The symposium will feature keynote addresses by Dr. Juliet Hooker, Professor of Political Science at Brown University, and Dr. Nancy Mirabal, Associate Professor of American Studies and Director of the U.S. Latina/o Studies Program at the University of Maryland-College Park. Their work on Afro-descendant politics in Latin America and Afro-Latinx discourses of race, gender, and territoriality, respectively, will spark broader exchanges around Afrolatinidad and representation among presenters and attendees.

 

We invite submissions that address aspects of Afrolatinidad, particularly through ethnicity/race, gender, history, technology, and expressive culture, such as music, dance and art. We are especially interested in papers that analyze these themes across a variety of conceptual frameworks, including Africana Studies, Anthropology, Caribbean Studies, Cultural Studies, History, Latin American Studies, Latinx Studies, Media Studies, Political Science, and Sociology.

 

Submissions need not be confined to these topics, but, if possible, please indicate at least two themes that correspond to your proposal.

 

Themes:

-Slavery and Its Legacies in Latin America

-Politics of Culture/Cultural Expression

-Visibility and Invisibility

-Theorizing Afro-Latinidad

-Race, Gender, and Migration

-Diaspora, Community, and Technology/Social Media

 

Please submit a title, 250-word abstract, and 2-page CV by January 7, 2019 to Afro-Latin@pitt.edu. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Michele Reid-Vazquez at mbr31@pitt.edu and include “Afrolatinidad Conference” in the subject line. In addition to invited keynote, roundtable, and community and curriculum speakers, ten to twelve scholars will be selected to present their work at the symposium. Lodging and meals will be covered for all invited presenters.

For additional details, see https://www.africanastudies.pitt.edu/Call%20for%20Papers%3A%20Representations%20of%20Afrolatinidad

Contact Information

The conference is convened by the Afro-Latin American and Afro-Latinx Studies Initiative, which seeks to forge a deeper connection between these fields by facilitating intellectual, curricular, and community exchanges from numerous disciplinary angles.

Contact Email
Afro-Latin@pitt.edu