Activism

ASALH’s 2020 theme comes as the nation marks the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment (1920) and celebrates the sesquicentennial of the Fifteenth Amendment (1870). These constitutional amendments reshaped the American political landscape with the culmination of suffrage for women and granting black men the right to the ballot after the Civil War. The theme speaks, therefore, to the ongoing struggle on the part of both black men and black women for the right to vote.

Violence has horrified and enthralled in equal measure, defining some of our most glorious and most distressing historical events. This conference is an interdisciplinary exploration of violence, and includes a stream on activism, protest, and dissent, and the intersection of protest and violence. We welcome workshops, round tables, papers, and performances from academic, artistic, activist, and professional perspectives.

Whistleblowers can play a vital role in exposing illegal, unjust or unethical behaviour on the part of businesses, governments and individuals in positions of power. In recognition of the complex, inter-disciplinary nature of this topic, this conference provides a platform for participants with academic, professional, artistic, or activist perspectives on whistleblowing.