Proposals

call for Paper and Panel Proposals

2026 Convention Theme:

Continuing the Black Freedom Struggle, 1776–2026

The Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc. (SCAASI) invites proposals for its 47th Annual Meeting, to be held in Montgomery, Alabama—the birthplace of the modern Civil Rights Movement. Founded in 1979, SCAASI is one of the oldest regional scholarly organizations dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of the African American experience. Through its annual meetings, publications, and community engagement, the organization has long provided a vital platform for scholars, educators, and students to explore and advance African American history and culture across a range of academic fields.  

In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the 2026 conference theme, “Continuing the Black Freedom Struggle, 1776–2026,” seeks to examine the enduring and evolving Black pursuit of freedom, justice, and equality from the Revolutionary era to the present. We welcome proposals from scholars across all academic disciplines. Submissions may address—but are not limited to—the following themes:

  • Enslavement, resistance, and abolition in the Revolutionary and Antebellum eras
  • Reconstruction, the rise of Jim Crow, and the evolution of Black political thought
  • The Civil Rights and Black Power Movements
  • Gender, sexuality, and intersectionality in the Black freedom struggle
  • Education, activism, and the Black intellectual tradition
  • Black labor, migration, and economic justice
  • Cultural expressions of resistance in art, literature, music, and performance
  • The carceral state, mass incarceration, and prison abolition
  • Environmental justice and the Black experience
  • Contemporary movements such as Black Lives Matter
  • Education, pedagogy, and policy
  • Environmental and health justice
  • Contemporary activism, reparations, and global solidarity

SCAASI especially encourages submissions from established and emerging scholars, independent researchers, and graduate students.

Proposals should include a 250-word abstract and a brief (1-page) CV for each participant.
The deadline for submissions is November 15, 2025.

Proposals should be submitted via
scaasiconferenceinfo@gmail.com or via the form below.

Join us in Montgomery as we critically engage the past and present to envision the future of Black freedom.