International Gullah Geechee and African Diaspora Conference
Tracing the African Diaspora: Places of Suffering, Resilience and Reinvention March 7-9, 2019 | Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC
The Charles W. Joyner Institute for Gullah and African Diaspora Studies at Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina, invited abstracts and panel proposals for its 1st Annual International Gullah Geechee and African Diaspora (IGGAD) Conference from October to December of 2018. 2019's theme—Tracing the African Diaspora: Places of Suffering, Resilience and Reinvention—examined significant social, political and cultural experiences among African American communities and various African and Caribbean nations in the past, present and envisioned future. Papers explored new knowledge and understanding in the broad areas of racial identity, feminism, transnational migration, gender studies, public health, religion, slavery, Afrofuturism, Pan-Africanism and Gullah/Geechee cultures.
The IGGAD conference brought together academics and practitioners from interdisciplinary areas of study, who offered their ground-breaking contributions in the form of scholarly papers, films, performances and spoken poetry. Our keynote speaker was Dr. Sheila S. Walker, cultural anthropologist and filmmaker, and there are exciting performances planned by singers Ron and Natalie Daise, The Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters, Step Afrika and Charleston, South Carolina’s poet laureate Marcus Amaker. Of special importance is our conference’s emphasis on the community-based participatory model, which recognizes the relevance of cultural practitioners and community participation. To this end, we held critical dialogues and shared learning among scholars, artisans and community members.
Sponsors
The IGAADS committee is grateful to the following organizations for their support for the 2019 conference.
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| The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission | The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation | The South Carolina Arts Commission |
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The Burroughs Fund for Southern Studies The Department of Anthropology and Geography The Athenaeum Press Office of Diversity and Inclusion Services |
| SC Sea Grant Consortium | Magnolia Plantation and Gardens | Our partners at Coastal Carolina University |
If you are interested in joining these organizations in your support of the IGGAD 2020 conference, please contact Eric Crawford (ecrawford@coastal.edu).
Learn More about the 2019 Conference
The inaugural 2019 IGGAD conference brought together scholars, artists and community practitioners to trace the African Diaspora.
