UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
Conference: "Enslaving Connections: Africa and Brazil", 10/00

Conference: "Enslaving Connections: Africa and Brazil", 10/00

International Conference Co-Sponsored by The Department of History and The Nigerian Hinterland Project:

ENSLAVING CONNECTIONS; AFRICA AND BRAZIL DURING THE ERA OF THE SLAVE TRADE

October 12-15th, 2000

Principal Organizer:

Prof. Jose C. Curto, Dept. of History, York University

Made Possible by Grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Instituto Camoes and Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, Portugal, Programa Lusitania Departamento da Cultura, Ministerio das Relacoes Exteriores, Brasil Department of History, York University

And Additional Support from the Nigerian Hinterland Project, York University Consulado Geral de Portugal, Toronto, Canada

The focus of this conference is the cultural, demographic, economic, linguistic, political, and religious connections between Brazil and Africa during the era of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Brazil received more enslaved Africans than any other part of the Americas-ten times as many as North America, and more than all of the Caribbean and North America combined. A great majority of these enslaved Africans came from Angola and other parts of west-central Africa, including Kimbundu, Kikongo and Umbundu speakers, even though many of the enslaved also came from the far interior beyond the locations of the Mbundu, Kongo and Ovimbundu. Another large segment of the deported African population came for the Bight of Benin (the "Slave Coast"), and included, especially Gbe and Yoruba speakers, but also a sizeable Muslim population. The conference will discuss the major themes emerging from these connections: the supply of African slaves to Brazil, the making of African identities within and outside of Africa, the transmission of African cultures to Brazil, ethnicity and resistance under slavery in Brazil, from Africans to creoles in Brazil, the Brazilian impact upon Angola, Mozambique, and West Africa, and a comparison of enslaved Africans in Brazil, Spanish America, and the Caribbean.

Over 35 leading experts and advanced graduate students from Canada, the United States, Brazil, Europe, Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean will present their most recent research on these themes. To close the conference, a workshop will see graduate students discuss the reconstruction of Africa-Americas-Africa interconnections during slavery.

Further details, including the description of the conference, the preliminary program, and the registration form are available at the WEB site of the Nigerian Hinterland Project, York University. Please point your browsers to www.yorku.ca/research/nhp and follow the links.

The Nigerian Hinterland Project can also be contacted by fax (416) 650-8173 or email nigerian@yorku.ca

Jose C. Curto

Dept. of History

York University

4700 Keele St.

North York, Ontario

CANADAM3J 1P3

Tel: (416) 736-5123Fax: (416) 736-5836

<jcurto@postoffice.yorku.ca>



Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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