International Gullah Geechee and African Diaspora Conference
Join Us | IGGAD 2020: March 4-7, 2020
The Charles W. Joyner Institute for Gullah and African Diaspora Studies at Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina will be holding its second International Gullah Geeechee and African Diaspora Conference on March 4-7, 2020. This year’s theme will focus on the politics and mechanics of digitizing and preserving the African Diaspora.
The IGGAD 2020 conference's theme Without Borders: Tracing the Cultural, Archival and Political African Diaspora will bring together academics and practitioners from interdisciplinary areas of study, who offer their ground-breaking contributions in the form of scholarly papers, films, performances and spoken poetry. We will hold a Gullah Geechee Community Day in collaboration with the City of Conway on Saturday, March 7. Those submitting session proposals will be asked if they would be interested in developing a presentation for general audiences for that community day.
Keynotes and Special Events
Reading: Colin Grant and Aminatta Forna
- Moderator: Sharmilla Beezmohun, Producer | Speaking Volumes Live Literature Productions
- Colin Grant, Award-Winning Author, BBC Radio Producer and Associate Fellow | Centre for Caribbean Studies
- Aminatta Forna, Award-Winning Author, Director of the Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice | Georgetown University
Keynote Conversation: Black Archives Without Borders
- Chaitra Powell, African American Collections and Outreach Archivist | UNC-Chapel Hill Southern Historical Collection
- Miranda Mims and Steven Fullwood | Nomadic Archivists Project
- Brenda Tindal, Director of Education and Engagement | International African American Museum
Plenary Panel: Future of African American Heritage
- Jeanne Cyriaque, Director | Georgia Humanities Council
- Jannie Harriot, Vice Chairperson | South Carolina African American Heritage Commission
Plenary Conversation: Margaret Washington
- Margaret Washington, Professor | Cornell University, American Studies Program and History
Conference Partners for IGGAD 2020
- Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission
- Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation
- City of Conway
- Conway Downtown Alive
- Horry County Museum
- Horry County Historical Society
- International Gullah Geechee Film Festival
To offer your support of the conference, please make a donation now, or contact Joyner Institute Director Eric Crawford (ecrawford@coastal.edu) to see how you can get involved.
Inaugural Conference Coverage
Thank you to the more than 400 scholars, activists and community members who made our innagural conference a roaring success. Participants described the event as a type of homecoming, where new and old connections were made.
- SCETV: Coverage of Repatriation Event on Palmetto Scene (National Archives Grant: Gullah Geechee Digital Project
- Charleston Chronicle: Gullah Geechee Conference offers opportunities...
- Coming Soon: A Digital Repository of conference papers and presentations
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 Conference
The 2020 IGGAD conference will bring together scholars, artists and community practitioners to trace the African Diaspora. Early registration only lasts until January 15.
