Living Black Studies: Reimagining Black Canadian Studies

Living Black Studies is a two-day conference that aims to reimagine Black Studies in Canada. Looking within the Concordia community and beyond, Living Black Studies seeks to actively rethink how we teach, learn and experience Blackness in our academic institutions and communities right now.

The conference will open with a question, where does Black Studies begin, and highlight the work of Black educators and leaders at the community level to establish radical teaching practices. Other sessions include:

• Reading Black scholars: A “Citation Practice Challenge” workshop
• An update on the Black Studies Minor initiative at Concordia with community feedback
• Black BDSM
• Writing while Black with Whitney French
• Complicating Blackness: Black organizing, identity, and difference in the university
• Abolition and transformative justice movements

The event will conclude with a keynote lecture by Black feminist philosopher and abolitionist Joy James, whose books include Shadowboxing: Representations of Black Feminist Politics, Seeking the Beloved Community: A Feminist Race Reader and The Angela Davis Reader.

People’s Potato and Midnight Kitchen will provide free meals, including breakfast and lunch, as well as a dinner accompanied by a special guest DJ.