Conference on Black History in the Hudson Valley
Call for Proposals - Conference on Black History in the Hudson Valley
The Hudson River Maritime Museum, the Library at the A.J. Williams-Myers African Roots Center, TMI Project’s Black Stories Matter, the Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region, the Harambee Coalition, and the Kingston Land Trust/Pine Street African Burial Ground Project are seeking proposals for the Conference on Black History in the Hudson Valley, Saturday, October 3, 2020. The conference will be held at the Hudson River Maritime Museum, 50 Rondout Landing, Kingston, NY 12401.
The focus of this one-day conference with concurrent sessions is the history of Black and African-American residents in the Hudson River Valley of New York State, including communities and work along the canals and tributaries of the Hudson River.
Presentations of topics from any historical era are welcome. Topics may include, but are not limited to:
● Slavery & abolition
● Afro-Dutch life
● Free Black communities
● Reconstruction
● Great Migration
● Industrial labor
● Waterfront histories
● Canal labor
● Transportation
● Fishing
● Food & agriculture
● Suffrage
● Black press
● Music & entertainment
● Art
● Civil Rights
● African burial grounds
Proposal types may include:
● Lectures/Powerpoints with Q&A
● In-progress research presentations
● Live performances (performers please submit a sample recording with your proposal)
● Roundtable discussions (audience participation required)
● Workshops, such as genealogy, research, reading discussions, etc.
Proposals should include: (1) title, (2) type of presentation, (3) content description of no more than 500 words, (4) name of presenter(s), including title and/or affiliation, and full contact information, (5) technology needs. All presentations should be geared toward a lay audience of all ages.
Presenters are welcome to submit 20 minute presentations individually or as a panel of three presenters. Individual submissions will be placed on panels by conference staff. Workshops, roundtable discussions, and performances may be no more than 80 minutes long. All locations will have projector & screen. Those needing audio equipment please note in
your submission. Presenters interested in selling materials related to their presentation including authors interested in selling their books and/or doing a book signing, please include this request in your submission. Please submit all materials to conference@hrmm.org. Submissions are due Monday, June 1, 2020. Presenters will be notified of acceptance by Friday, July 31, 2020. Accepted presenters will have their conference fee waived as a courtesy.
For more information on the conference, including past sessions, visit www.hrmm.org/black-history-conference.