Call for Papers: First African and African American Studies
Conference, 10/09
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
First African and African American Studies Conference
"African Identities in the Age of Obama"
October 8-10, 2009
- Proposal Deadline
- June 1, 2009
George Mason University
George Johnson Center
Conference Chair: Wendi N. Manuel-Scott, wmanuels@gmu.edu
On 20 January 2009, the first African-American citizen, Barack Hussein
Obama, was sworn in as the President of the United States of America. His
inauguration as the 44th president reminds us that beliefs about persons of
African ancestry based on their phenotypical appearance are precarious at
best. We should not assume, for example, that the "black" skin of the newly
elected leader of the United States signifies a descendant of an American
slave. Instead, President Obama's rise to power alerts us, once again, to
the complexity of African identities in the modern era, particularly now
that the 21st century is being heralded as the "post race" era. While
African Americans, African immigrants, Caribbean immigrants, Afro-Latino
immigrants, and Afro-European immigrants may have "black" skin, their
cultural perspectives, historical experiences, and evolving identities
should suggest different conceptions of Africanness.?
To provide a critical forum for the continued examination of African
identities, the African and African American Studies (AAAS) Program at
George Mason University (GMU) proposes a multidisciplinary conference titled
"African identities in the Age of Obama." This international meeting of
scholars and students will be held on October 8-10, 2009, on the main GMU
campus in Fairfax, Virginia. The objective of this conference is to create
opportunities to explore the complex ways in which African identities are
constructed, expressed and represented. AAAS seeks a broad range of papers
representing diverse methodological approaches. Papers from scholars in the
fields of African, African American and African diaspora studies are
encouraged. Contributions that engage critically with notions of African
identity in the age of Obama are especially welcome.
The deadline for proposal submissions is June 1, 2009. Send proposals (plain
text, Word, RTF or PDF) or inquiries to either
Wendi Manuel-Scott
Conference Chair
Email: wmanuels@gmu.edu
Or
Mika'il A. Petin Associate Director African and African American Studies
(703) 993-4080/(703) 993-4085
mpetin@gmu.edu
General Proposal Guidelines:
-
Completed Proposal Coversheet Form
-
Paper Title
-
Abstract - This brief description of the paper should not exceed 500
words
-
Biographical paragraph - Not to exceed 200 words
5.Mailing and e-mail addresses
6.Please indicate audio visual or equipment needs, if any
Proposal Review Procedure:
The Program Committee, chaired by Dr. Benedict Carton, is charged with
reviewing proposals submitted within the stated guidelines. Proposals
representing the conference theme will receive priority consideration. The
proposal abstract must reflect a high quality of scholarship and
originality. A list of sources and a concise topical statement and primary
argument are integral to a strong proposal.
Proposals will be reviewed and ranked by the Program Committee. The
committee will seek to insure a representation of the diverse geographic and
methodological approaches, thus, a broad range of papers will be considered.
Presenters and panels will be notified by July 1, 2009 and asked to confirm
their participation within five (5) business days. A letter with additional
logistics will be sent by September 10, 2009.
Page Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D.