Graduate Association for African-American History
The 26th Annual Graduate Conference in African American History will take place on February 24-26, 2027.
Under Siege but Undefeated: Countering the Erasure of Black History
Graduate Association for African American History (GAAAH) Annual Conference
February 24 - 26, 2027
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis Graduate Association for African American History (GAAAH) is comprised of graduate students studying topics related to African American history and the African diaspora. The theme of our 2027 conference, “Under Siege but Undefeated: Countering the Erasure of Black History,” celebrates the groundbreaking scholarship in Black history that’s still being produced despite the numerous political attacks on Black history education at the K-12 and college level.
Our annual conference will take place from February 24–26, 2027 at the Maxine A. Smith University Center at the University of Memphis in Memphis, TN. We invite graduate and undergraduate students to submit proposals on any topic within the scope of Black Studies, as we hope to represent a broad range of disciplinary and methodological approaches. The conference provides students from around the country with an opportunity to present their research, receive critical feedback, and build a scholarly network.
We welcome individual papers as well as complete session proposals. The individual paper submissions should consist of a 300-word abstract, the paper title, a CV/resume, and the author’s email address. The organizers of complete sessions should include—in a single email—a 200-word description of the panel, the CVs of each panelist, and each of their email addresses. Limited travel funding is available on a first-come-first-serve basis from the African and African American Studies (AAAS) Program at the university.
We are happy to announce that Dr. Clint Smith will serve as the keynote speaker for the 2027 Conference. A scholar, poet, and public historian, Dr. Smith is the author of the bestselling 2021 book, How the Word Is Passed, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction, the Hillman Prize for Journalism, and the Stowe Prize for Literary Activism.
Deadlines:
Please submit all proposals by Friday, December 18th
If accepted, you will be notified by Friday, January 8th
Conference participants must submit their completed papers by Sunday, January 31st
Contact:
Submit all proposals to our president, Neil Sharma, at neil.s@memphis.edu. If you have any questions, or wish to inquire about travel funding, contact the GAAAH faculty advisor and AAAS program director, Dr. Brian Kwoba, at bwkwoba@memphis.edu.
A pdf version of the Call for Papers can be downloaded here.