Contact: Dann Hayes, Director of Media Relations 641-269-4834.

March 29, 2002

Africana Studies sponsors 6th annual conference at Grinnell College

GRINNELL, Iowa -The 6th annual Africana Studies Concentration Conference at Grinnell College will be held on Tuesday, April 9 at the Noyce Science Center.

The conference, which includes papers and presentations by students and professors, will focus on four specific areas of interests of research: Music and Literature; Education and Society; The African Diaspora: Development, Migration, and Religion; and Philosophy and Race.

"Our goal with the conference is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for an intellectual exchange among students, faculty, and administrators," said Ralph Russell, a lecturer in music at Grinnell College and one of the organizers of the conference. "This will also be an opportunity for participants to present preliminary research and new ideas to an academic audience."

Conference schedule:

Panel One
Music and Literature
4:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Noyce 2021
Presenters
o Tawny Lane '03, "The Making of Slaves"
o Joseph Nelson '02, "Thinking on Modern Black Gay Male Subjectivity Through
the Lens of Literature Written by American Black Gay Men"
o Justin Jeffryes '03, "The Theme of Escape in Toni Morrison's, The Bluest Eye,
Sula and Beloved"
o Jorge Torres; assistant professor of music, "From Havana Ghetto to American
Jukebox: Afro-Cuban Rhythms in Early Rock 'n' Roll"

Panel Two
Education and Society
4:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Noyce 2024
Presenters
o Latrisha Chattin '03, "Dispelling the Myth. The Truth about African Americans
and Education"
o Noah Lawrence '02, "The March on Washington: An Anecdotal and Historical
Perspective"
o Claudia Gonzalez '02, subject to be announced
African Buffet Reception/Dinner
5:30 p.m. - 6:10 p.m.
Noyce Science Center

Panel Three
The African Diaspora: Development, Migration, and Religion
6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Noyce 2021
Presenters
o Dennericka Brooks '04, "Structural Adjustment in Africa: Success or Failure?"
o Hilary B. Minnick '02, "Challenging Borders: A Look at Senegalese Migration in
France"
o Paul Ford '02, "Islam and Malcolm X"

Panel Four
Philosophy and Race
6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Noyce 2024
Presenters
o Arin Hill '03, subject to be announced
o Megan Beaman '03, "White Bred: Locating the Roots of Racial Attitudes in Rural Iowa"
o Michael Rosenthal, assistant professor of philosophy, "The Black, Scabby
Brazilian: Some Thoughts on Race and Early Modern Philosophy"
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