Anti-Black State Violence in the Americas: Power and Struggle in Brazil and the U.S.
February 20th– 22nd
At a pivotal historical moment, this symposium will bring further attention to anti-black state violence in the Americas. The University of California, Berkeley will host some of the most influential social movement leaders from Brazil and the United States—homes to the two largest Black populations outside the continent of Africa. As the U.S. enters a contentious new congressional term and Brazil’s far-right presidential leader comes to power, this symposium will facilitate transnational dialogue, learning, and coalitions. Taking place over three days, we will engage with scholars, scholar-activists, and organizers from Brazil's Black Movement (Movimento Negro), Black Women’s Movement (Movimento de Mulheres Negras), and the U.S. who have made critical interventions in the areas of law, politics, education, health, and cultural production. Through discussions, workshops and presentations, we will engage with the power and challenges of addressing anti-black state violence through political action and scholarship from three vantage points: the historical foundations of Black struggle, today’s socio-cultural and democratic political contexts, and future pathways to contesting racialized forms of violence. This symposium will generate fruitful pathways for moving toward inter-disciplinary research on ethno-racial inequality, the African Diaspora in the Americas and histories of Black struggle, state violence, law and democracy, social movements, gender politics, education, and public health, among other areas.
Join us on February 20th– 22nd, 2019 for plenary discussion, workshops, and a documentary screening as UC Berkeley and leaders from across Brazil and the U.S. envision the forms and possibilities of transnational coalitions!
*This symposium is being organized by a multi-disciplinary coalition of graduate students from across campus, developed by Maria-Fátima Santos, co-directed with Jessica F. Compton, and with guidance from Professor Tianna S. Paschel. We give great thanks to the following university co-sponsors: Haas Institute for a Fair & Inclusive Society (HIFIS), Office of the Dean of Social Sciences, Antonio Gramsci Fund, Center for Latin American Studies, Global Black Feminisms Project, Department of Sociology, Office of the Dean of Graduate School of Education, Doreen B. Townsend Center for the Humanities, Center for Study of Law and Society, Latinx Research Center, HIFIS Diversity and Democracy Cluster, Institute for Governmental Studies, Institute for International Studies, Center for Social Change (ISSI), Department of Comparative Literature, Department of African American and Diaspora Studies, American Cultures Center, and Center for Race & Gender.