North Carolina Central University's Department of History, in association with the Global Studies Program, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, invites proposals for the 5th Annual African Diaspora Studies Symposium, to be held March 23-24, 2013 on the campus of North Carolina Central University. This year’s theme “Documenting and Sustaining Memory in the Diaspora in the 21st Century,” seeks to explore the ways that communities see themselves and the ways that they are perceived by the dominant cultures that surround them.

In keeping with the breadth of the Liberal Arts, we seek proposals for papers, panels, performances (music or theater), film, and graphic art from any branch of Diaspora studies. Special attention will be given to the following themes although other topics within the Diaspora will be considered:

· How public monuments, oral narratives, and heritage tourism sites function as a selective archive of memory that aestheticizes and asserts contested narratives aligned with promoting national identity?

· How are academics, archivists, librarians, public intellectuals, and artists creating alternative archives and public memory?

· Documenting transnational mobility through large-scale displacement and dispersal of populations across the world as a result of major political upheavals, globalization-spurred by free trade, increased mobility of capital, and the new technologies of communication, information, and travel

· Assessing the growing need to preserve local collections, manuscripts, genealogy, and personal photos through conventional archival and records management methods, as well as digital initiatives such as smart phones, tablets, Skype, and other forms of recorded audio/video formats.

We are interested in reflections about challenges in relation to the digital revolution-exploring the beneficiaries of these digital innovations, and the extent that these technologies have enabled more democratic and open forms of access, or created privatized collections.

The symposium typically features an interdisciplinary array of scholars, activists, and artists from North American, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and beyond. Activities have included a keynote address, film screenings, academic panels, and performance art. We look forward to continuing this tradition, bringing together academics, community members, and creative artists to engage with each other on issues facing the African Diaspora and African Diaspora Studies.

This two-day symposium is free and open to the public. It will be held on the campus of North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC on March 23 and 24, 2013.

Papers and submission: Individual abstracts should be 250 words or less and panel abstracts should be 750 words or less. Abstracts should be submitted by Monday, December 3, 2012. Please include, for all participants, a five-line biography with institutional/organizational affiliation and contact information. Please direct all submissions to Dr. Rhonda Jones, Chair, jonesr@nccu.edu and Youssef J. Carter at youssefcarter@gmail.com, Co-Chair.

Accommodation and Travel: Accommodations, evening meals, and local transportation will be at the expense of conference participants. Lunch and light refreshments will be available during the symposium. Participants are encouraged to seek travel funding from their own institutions and other sources.

North Carolina Central University, located in the heart of Durham, was founded in 1910 and is the first state-supported liberal arts institution to serve the black population. The University prides itself on its relations with its Durham neighbors, and the NCCU African Diaspora Studies Symposium encourages input and participation from both academics and the community.