AN INVITATION
TO MEMBERSHIP
Click
Here To Download printable version
of the Membership Form.
Membership has its privileges, and its responsibilities.
The National Conference of Black Political
Scientists (NCOBPS) embodies both notions.
We are a professional organization, with
a membership of more than 300 political science
faculty, students, elected politicians, and
policy analysts. Formed in 1969 at Southern
University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, our
members are committed to the study and practice
of black politics, both here and abroad.
Our organization promotes research in and
critical analysis of topics usually overlooked
and/or marginalized in political science
scholarship. We believe our scholarship must
address wide-ranging “real world” issues
and not the narrow, and often manufactured,
concerns of the discipline.
Our members span the range of political
science sub-fields – political theory,
international relations, comparative politics,
methods, public policy, and American politics.
The professional pursuits of NCOBPS members
are similarly varied, ranging from public
policy analysis to international consultancies
to elected office. We are extremely proud
that long-standing active NCOBPS member and
former NCOBPS President Dianne Pinderhughes,
University of Notre Dame, is 2007-2008 President
of the American Political Science Association.
Other NCOBPS members have held regional,
national, and international leadership positions
throughout the discipline.
We also strongly believe that our membership
should be on the cutting edge of scholarship,
teaching, mentorship, and community engagement.
To this end,
(1) NCOBPS hosts annual scholarly conferences,
with panels spanning the range of disciplines
and offering members opportunities to participate
as presenters, discussants, and chairs.
(2) NCOBPS publishes the National Political
Science Review (NPSR), an annual journal
of research featuring articles from all political
science subfields.
(3) NCOBPS’ website (www.ncobps.org),
listserve (ncobps@discussthis.com), and fall/spring
newsletter connects membership throughout
the world and keeps them informed about relevant
organizational and disciplinary happenings.
(4) NCOBPS offers financial assistance to
graduate students who wish to attend the
conference and present their research through
our Graduate Assistance Program (GAP).
(5) NCOBPS acts as an intellectual incubator,
providing space for research groups, dedicated
to the exploration of specific topics (e.g.
Race and Democracy in the Americas, Voting
Rights and Redistricting in the U.S.)
(6) NCOBPS offers workshops and roundtables
on tenure and publishing.
(7) NCOBPS hosts receptions at the American
Political Science Association annual meeting.
Finally, we encourage all to remember why
NCOBPS was founded. Our founding members
understood that the depth of America’s
understanding about the problems of race
turned on two things: (a) the paradigms and
practices evolving in the study of political
science; and (2) the exposure of the professoriate
to new ideas and perspectives. The field
of political science is only as strong as
its professoriate is intellectually and racially/ethnically
diverse.
Please join us. We welcome your expertise
and passion.
Regards,
Desiree Selma Pedescleaux
Spelman College
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