Jemima Pierre

This conference brings together Black anthropologists from Africa and the African diaspora for a gathering on the African continent. It is being co-organized by the Association of Black Anthropologists (ABA), the Society of Black Archaeologists (SBA), and Blacks in Biological Anthropology (BiBA) – in collaboration with the Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire, Cheikh Anta Diop University (Senegal). Over the past decade, a new generation of Black anthropologists (biological, cultural, linguistic and practicing) and archaeologists have continued the dual legacy of critical reflections on the discipline while attempting to put anthropology to good use. This moment has renewed conversations about the epistemological crisis facing the discipline. Can we decolonize the field or should we abandon the discipline of anthropology all together? What role does activism play in the anthropology of the Black experience? How does Black Anthropology – in Africa and the diaspora – differ from other anthropological traditions? Our goal is to explore anthropology from the Black experience, incorporating key themes in anthropological methods and theory through research conducted, primarily by scholars of African descent, across Africa and the African diaspora. We also expect to establish firmer connections and scholarly exchange among Black anthropologists, especially continental African anthropologists.