2018 Black New England Conference & Awards Dinner
EXPRESS YOURSELF: Identity, Style & Adornment
October 19 – 20, 2018
Holloway Commons, University of New Hampshire
“The will to adorn is the second most notable characteristic in Negro expression. Perhaps his idea of ornament does not attempt to meet conventional standards, but it satisfies the soul of its creator.”
— Zora Neale Hurston
Style—whether expressed through art, music, literature, performance, speech, or bodily adornment—operates as a visible and tangible marker of identity and group affiliation.
African American style has functioned as an effective means of communication in the U.S. and abroad. It has influenced how African Americans create identities for themselves and how they express these identities to others.
Although there is no one way to be “authentically” African American, there are numerous aesthetic choices that have overlapped and intertwine. They often form a framework for understanding linkages between the individual self and the individual’s position within social structures. These can be organized around notions of kinship, economic empowerment, religion, and politics.
In exploring the traditions, artistry, and social histories that have shaped different forms of African American style, this conference will investigate the historical and present impact of artistic expression on the development of African American identities and cultural production.
Panelists will also unpack ways in which the embodiment of aesthetic expressions serves as a point of reflection for social issues today. In addition, they will explore how creative cultural Black movements have influenced the mainstream and provided platforms for developing societal beliefs and values.
This conference is for anyone who wants to dialogue around the significance of individual and collective style as more than just a social and climatological necessity. It will be an animated and vibrant celebration of an individual’s drive to define and redefine what it means to be human.
Special Featured Keynote Addresses by Dr. Lucius Turner Outlaw Jr., & Karen Chambers
CONFERENCE PANELS:
- The Social Brain and the Creation of Black Identities
Casey Golomski, Jennifer Thorn, John Berst - African American Representation & Aesthetics in The Movie, Black Panther
Delia Konzett, Kabria Baumgartner, Lisa Simmons - African American Cool: Commodification, Erasure & Appropriation
Lucius T. Outlaw Jr., David Livingston Smith, Phillip Cunningham, Naykisha Head - Strange Fruit: Exploring the Style & Art of Black Protest
Kirk Maynard, Petria May, Alexandra Thomas, Enrico Riley - Heads up: It’s all about the Hair
Jada K. Hebra, Darina Pugacheva, Akinshimaya Nnamdi, Marta Mezzanzanica - The Souls of Black Folks: Stepping Forward, Redrawing Boundaries
Dorothy Clark, Tracey Walters, Terry Robinson, Fahamu Pecou
The Black New England Conference, now in its 12th year, is an annual 2-day gathering where academics, artists, activists, and community members share insights and research on Black experiences, past and present, in New England and beyond. It is both an academic conference and a celebration of Black life and history.
Fashion Show: Back to the Future – “3018”
Holloway Commons, UNH
Saturday, Oct 20, 5pm
The culmination of the BNEC 2018 will offer a glimpse of Afrofuturistic style. Think of the fashions you saw in the movie, Black Panther.
“3018” is an Afrofuturistic style fashion show that tells the story of a group of African tribes who return to Earth 800 years from now. Curated by Creative Director Terry Robinson, the show will feature clothes by Beyonce’s designer Francis Hendy, Emelyne Adios, Olivia Amanda Oleko, and Elisabeth Walu Osakanu. Hair and makeup design will be done by Kerttia Fenestor and her team.
The BNEC awards a limited amount of student scholarships for the conference. Please email info@box2307.temp.domains for more information.
Conference Schedule
Presenters Biographies
2018 Citizen of the Year Award Recipient
2018 Call for Papers/Closed
Past Conferences
2017 Black New England Conference
cola.unh.edu/center-new-england-culture/2017-black-new-england-conference
Thank you to our sponsors
