The International Scholars Conference is a truly innovative event. It provides an opportunity to explore the work of scholars who have done extensive work focused on African American studies specifically and the African Diaspora more generally from their individual cultural perspectives.

Negotiating Spaces: Black Identity, Culture and Politics in South America marks the seventh annual International Scholars Conference hosted by the Institute of African American Research. This year’s two-day conference focuses on the work of scholars who have been invited to analyze and explore the political, cultural and historical aspects of the black experience in South America. The conference will begin in the evening on Friday, April 1, 2005, with a dinner reception at 7 p.m., followed by a keynote address by UCIS Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. George Reid Andrews. Dr. Andrews is also the author of the recent work Afro-Latin America, 1800-2000, an amazing comprehensive history of blacks from emancipation to the present. The conference will continue on Saturday, April 2, 2005 with presentations and subsequent discussions, following three panels: Black Activism and Public Policy in South America, Race and Culture in another America, and Afro-Columbia under the Gun. Each of the invited scholars will make a presentation during an individual session, after which a local faculty commentator will offer a response. The audience then will be invited to participate in a dialogue with both presenters.

While this event is free and open to the public, pre-registration is encouraged. For additional information, please contact Jennifer Ramirez, IAAR Program Coordinator, 919.962.6810 or jennifer@unc.edu.