Raleigh, North Carolina

Since the 1970's, a number of gains have been made within the black community and with regards to the continental African and African Diasporic reality.  We can point to the election of the first black president of the United States, the unprecedented expansion of the black middle class, greater political and economic integration, as well as the consolidation of democratization in Africa and the implementation of dramatic constitutional reforms recognizing multicultural citizenship rights in Latin America.  However, challenges and issues persist in the domestic context, gains have been threatened by the economic downturn and market volatility, the erosion of the social safety net, liberal complacency and shift to the "right", U.S. imperialism, and increased global militarization and mass incarceration.  Popular discourse would indicated that we are in a post-racial moment, and the Supreme Court decision in Bartlett v. Strickland would suggest the declining significance of race in representation as indication of this paradigmn shift. 

How do scholars of black political science understand their roles and responsibilities to the black community and academia at a time when deracialization is becoming the dominant narrative?  How do we interpret our roles and responsibilities to blacks here and abroad?  Is there an essentialist notion of the role and responsibilities of black political science and scientists?  In what ways are intentionally interrogating and integrating gender, gender identify and sexual orientation within a black political science context?  What new theories or methodological approaches are we bringing to bear on the analysis of issues that affect the black community?

We encourage the submission of proposals for papers, panels, and roundtables that focus on the theme.  We also welcome proposals in the areas of race politics, history (within and beyond the U.S. context), urban politics, gender/sexuality studies, public policy, social movements, diaspora/transnational politics, electoral politics, politics and religion, and other related topics, especially those utilizing multiple methods and innovative theoretical approaches.

The Program Committee Co-Chairs:

Teri Fair