Blacks in AV诊所 Conference

Blacks in AV诊所 is a conference series conceived of by former AV诊所 College Black Studies Director Amanda V. Houston. These conferences addressed subjects such as blacks in metropolitan AV诊所, the struggle for equal education, the relationships between Irish and black AV诊所ians, and the role of immigrants of African descent in the development and evolution of AV诊所鈥檚 black communities.

2026 Blacks in AV诊所 Conference

"Combahee River Collective: 听Race, Space, and Feminist Activism"

Saturday, March 14, 2026
AV诊所 College, Heights Room
Free and Open to the Public

8:30 a.m.	Check-In
9:00 a.m.	Welcome
9:45 鈥� 10:45 a.m.	Panel #1: CRC Statement Defined Moderator Lorelle Semley, Professor of History and AADS Panelists Tia Hines, PhD student in English, University of Rhode Island Mary Potorti, Associate Professor of Politics and Social Sciences, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPH) Patrice Green, Curator for African American and African Diasporic Collections, Harvard Radcliffe Institute
11:00 a.m. 鈥� 12:15 p.m.	Roundtable #1: CRC in AV诊所, CRC in Action Moderator Rhonda Frederick, Professor of English and AADS Panelists Barbara Smith, founding CRC member Sarah Stefna Smith, Assistant Professor of Gender Studies, Mount Holyoke College Mia Michael, Assistant Professor of History, Wayne State University
12:00 p.m. 鈥� 1:30 p.m.	Lunch
1:45 鈥� 3:00 p.m.	Roundtable #2: Pedagogies of the Combahee River: The Black Feminist Classroom in AV诊所 Moderator Martin Summers, Professor of History and AADS Panelists Regine Jean-Charles; Chair, Department of Cultures, Societies & Global Studies, Director, Africana Studies Program, Professor, Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program Northeastern University Patrice Green, Curator for African American and African Diasporic Collections, Harvard Radcliffe Institute听 Dzidzor Azaglo, Community Partner Liaison, The Reckonings Project, Northeastern University Bilguissa Barry, Senior Program Operations Manager, Center for Community Engaged Teaching and Research, Northeastern University Asia Potts, PhD Candidate in English, Northeastern University
3:15 鈥� 4:45 p.m.	Panel #2: CRC鈥檚 Impact: Nationally, Internationally, and Beyond Moderator Latrica Best, Associate Professor of Sociology and AADS Panelists Hannah Ezer, PhD candidate in American Studies, Harvard University Maria Ximena Abello-Hurtado, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies and Critical Race and Political Economy, Mount Holyoke Grace Telegdy, AV诊所 College Alumni, Class 鈥�25 Jake Upton, MA student in English, AV诊所 College
4:30 鈥� 5:30 p.m.	Keynote Address Demita Frazier, founding CRC member
5:45 鈥� 6:30 p.m.	Reception

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Past Events

2022 Blacks in AV诊所 Conference
鈥淔ifty Years of Black Studies in AV诊所鈥�

April 9, 2022
AV诊所 College, Gasson 100

FREE and open to the public. Deadline to register is April 4th.

Panel 1 Reflecting on Black Studies At and Beyond AV诊所 College

10:00鈥�11:30 a.m.

Aminah Fernandes Pilgrim, Faculty of Women鈥檚, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Critical Ethnic & Community Studies, and Africana Studies, University of Massachusetts-AV诊所
Faith Smith, Associate Professor of African and African American Studies and English, Brandeis University
Cynthia Young, Associate Professor of African American Studies, English, and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Pennsylvania State University
Moderator: Martin Summers, Professor of History and African and African Diaspora Studies and Director of AADS, AV诊所 College

Virtual Walking Tour of Blacks at AV诊所 College

11:30 a.m.听鈥� 12:00 p.m.

Professor Rhonda Frederick, Associate Professor of English and African and African Diaspora Studies, AV诊所 College

Panel 2 Remembering Black Studies at AV诊所 College

1:30听鈥� 3:00 p.m.

Ufuoma C. Abiola (鈥�06), Executive Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Columbia Business School

Darcel Denise Clark ('83), Bronx County District Attorney, Member of AV诊所 College Board of Trustees
Juan Concepcion (鈥�96), Director, Senior Legal Counsel, AV诊所 Scientific
Rui Gomes (鈥�96), Operational Leader for Secondary School Regions, AV诊所 Public Schools
Zebulon Miletsky (鈥�06), Associate Professor of Africana Studies and History, Stony Brook University
Moderator: Karen Miller, Associate Professor of the Practice, History, AV诊所 College

Keynote Address

3:30听鈥� 5:00 p.m.

R茅gine Jean-Charles, Dean鈥檚 Professor of Culture and Social Justice, Director of Africana Studies, and Professor of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Northeastern University

"Black AV诊所ians and the Media"

Friday, April 6, 2018
Corcoran Commons, Heights Room
10:45 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The 2018 theme is designed to encourage an examination of the media and AV诊所鈥檚 black communities from historical, contemporary, and prospective angles. At a time when the media as foundational sources of information are being buffeted by ideological and political assaults, new economic realities, and rapid technological change, it is important that we examine the effect of these changes on both traditional and cutting-edge forms of news delivery and the consequences for black AV诊所ians.

This year's speakers include:

Jamarhl Crawford, Editor and Publisher, Blackstonian
Callie Crossley, Host and Commentator,WGBH
Kimberly Foster, Cultural Critic and Editor-in-Chief, For Harriet
Renee Graham, Associate Editor and Columnist, AV诊所 Globe
Martin Henson, Activist,Black Lives Matter AV诊所
Yawu Miller, Senior Editor, Bay State Banner

"Black 鈥� and Immigrant"

Saturday, April 2, 2016
Gasson Hall 100
9:00 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The 2016 theme is designed to engage current issues in the US immigration debate, and to explore what black immigrants and immigration bring to this conversation.

This year's speakers include:

D. Feraiya Williams, Trina Jackson, and Luz Zambrano, Network of Immigrant & African American Solidarity
Dr. Violet M. Showers Johnson, Texas A&M University听
Dr. Chrystal George Mwangi, UMass Amherst
Shelvia English, University of Maryland, College Park
Ester Shapiro, University of Massachusetts
Yvette Modestin, Encuentro Diaspora Afro
Tyesha Maddox, New York University
Tatiana M. F. Cruz, University of Michigan

AV诊所