Call for Papers: Southeast Regional Seminar in African Studies (SERSAS) & Southeast Africanist Network (SEAN)

Fall Conference, 8-9 October 2021, College of Charleston

Co-sponsored by the African Studies Program, College of Charleston, African Studies Center, UNC-Chapel Hill, and the Center for African Studies, University of Florida

Black Lives: Global Structures of Inequality and Justice

Global inequities in terms of wealth, health care, and resource distribution, continuing questions of justice and identity, and the disproportionate impact of climate change on the global south, have exposed the connections and entanglements between justice, distribution, and civil rights. This fall’s conference, Black Lives: Global and Local Structures of Inequality and Justice, seeks to explore the structures that have shaped and continue to shape the lives of the peoples of Africa and the African Diaspora. This fall’s conference gives preference to research that emphasizes African initiative in seeking justice and creating change in local, regional, and global contexts. Taking place in Charleston South Carolina, a site rich in African American history, this fall’s meeting will occur in tandem with the College of Charleston’s World Affairs Signature Series, “Black Lives.” Other events in this series include one honoring the victims of the Emmanuel A.M.E church shootings in 2015.

The coordinators of SERSAS/SEAN cordially invite you to present your work within the wide parameters of this conference theme. Submissions from any academic discipline are welcome but must be accessible to a diverse set of participants, which in the past have come from a variety of disciplines including anthropology, economics, geography, history, literary studies, maritime studies, music, theater, education, African and foreign languages (in translation), and political science.

This Fall 2021 SERSAS/SEAN Conference will be divided into two main sections. The first will be a more traditional array of panels from diverse disciplines that explore the conference theme. While we welcome individual submissions, we strongly encourage scholars in the Southeastern region to join forces and submit full panels. In our view, this falls well in line with the SERSAS/SEAN spirit of encouraging professional networking and scholarly collaboration.

The second section invites individual scholars or those working collaboratively on a major project (i.e. book, edited volume, special edition journal) to have more focused, extended workshop with the intention of moving the project closer to publication. This will require scholars to submit drafts of their work to a select group of discussants in advance of the conference. Scholars may also identify and request discussants in advance for this workshop.

The Fall 2021 SERSAS/SEAN Conference seeks to provide all participants the opportunity to share scholarship within the friendly atmosphere for which the regional network of scholars is renowned. SERSAS/SEAN prides itself on providing an open and collegial forum for the exchange of ideas. This includes providing opportunities for advanced graduate students to present their work and win the SERSAS Prize for the best graduate student paper. We therefore encourage graduate students and their faculty mentors to consider putting forward proposals.

Preliminary schedule:

Friday, 8 October:

4:00-5:30pm Keynote Lecture, Rosalind Fredericks (Gallatin School, New York University)

6:00-8:00pm African Studies Program Reception, Location TBD

Saturday, 9 October

8:30am-5:15pm SERSAS Conference, Sylvia Vlosky Yaschik Jewish Studies Center, 96 Wentworth Street, Rooms 333 & 337

Parking is in Wentworth Garage on the corner of Wentworth and St. Philips

7:00pm Closing Dinner location TBD

Deadline for conference paper/panel/workshop submission: 3 September

Please send proposals of 250 words to: dayc@cofc.edu

Accommodation: The College of Charleston will reserve a block of rooms for participants for October 8th and 9th. Details on hotel bookings will accompany notification of accepted proposals.

Conference fee: Onsite registration for faculty is $20 (cash, check, or Venmo). There is no fee for students.