The Promised Land Project Community-University Research Alliance invites all interested parties to its third annual Public Symposium, African Canadian History in Southwestern Ontario: Connecting Past and Present, to be held March 5 & 6, 2010 at the University of Windsor. As a bridge between Black History Month in February and International Women’s Day, the symposium will be built around three central themes:

1. African Canadian history, with a preference for the history of Southwestern Ontario or regional history of Ontario/Michigan;
2. Current social justice issues--including race, multiculturalism, jurisprudence, the African diaspora and identity in Canada—and their historical context;
3. Women and gender in African Canadian history.

Friday March 5, will include the Project's report to the community on its latest research followed by a reception. Presentations will take place throughout Saturday March 6.

Presenters include:
- Dr. Wanda Thomas-Bernard, Director of the School of Social Work at Dalhousie University, will explore the contributions of African-Canadian women on Canada's journey to social justice;
- Local author Bryan Prince will discuss issues important to genealogical researchers and the roadblocks he faced, including racial profiling, while writing his latest book “Shadow on the Household;”
- Students from Lambton-Kent Composite School will showcase theatrical adaptations of the history of Dresden, part of a pilot project of the Promised Land and the Lambton Kent District School Board to increase student education and retention of African-Canadian history through the arts.

There is no registration fee and walk-ins are encouraged, however it is best to call ahead to ensure adequate seating. Please contact Devin Andrews, Promised Land Project Community Coordinator via email: dandrewsplp@gmail.com, or telephone: 519.436.0119 x351. All presentations will take place in the Katzman Lounge, Vanier Hall, at the University of Windsor (corner of Wyandotte Street W, and Huron Church Rd).

About the Project:
The Promised Land Project (PLP) is a multi disciplinary Community University Research Alliance funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council. The PLP studies the history of early black settlements in Chatham-Kent, and highlights the ways in which the “Promised Land” communities have shaped Canada's experience and understanding of multiculturalism. The PLP has a five-year mandate (2007-2012) to preserve primary historical materials and make them accessible; to develop educational materials; to create community projects in the arts and in Public History; to further debates on the historical and contemporary manifestations of diversity in Canada; and to encourage new interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching on themes of slavery, race, identity, and African diaspora. For more information about the Promised Land Project, visit our website: http://lamacs.arts.uottawa.ca/plp.htm