The Athenaeum Press at Coastal Carolina University is a student-driven publishing lab that focuses on telling stories of our region in new and innovative ways.
We are currently working on several initiatives, including Gullah Geechee Foodways, Uncharted: Working Creatives in South Carolina, and the Communal Pen.
Class, Caste, and Colorism: The Effects on Gullah Geechee People and Communities within the African Diaspora
The Joyner Institute for Gullah and African Diaspora Studies at Coastal Carolina University invites abstracts, poster sessions, lightning talks, workshops, performances, and panel proposals for its 6th International Gullah Geechee and African Diaspora Conference (IGGAD) 2027. The theme is Class, Caste, and Colorism and the Effects on Gullah Geechee People and Communities within the African Diaspora. This conference defines colorism as prejudice or discrimination based on skin color, especially favoritism toward those with a lighter skin tone and mistreatment or exclusion of those with a darker skin tone, especially among those of the same racial group or ethnicity.
This conference delves into various aspects of colorism, especially the ways in which it shapes class and caste within different regions of the world, i.e. North and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and other colonized communities. Because the effect of colorism is uniquely shaped by the societies in which it exists, the goal of this conference is to examine the roles that it plays in shaping class and caste.
We are interested in research that explores thehistorical impact of the one-drop rule, brown paper bag tests, and other methods, as tools to stratify societies using skin tones, facial features, and hair texture. These have been employed by various social groups to reinforce control of social hierarchy(ies). IGGAD 2027 also seeks to examine the economic and social cost of colorism beyond marginalized spaces through its effects on education, employment, healthcare, religion, politics, beauty standards, the arts, and other categories.
The effect of colorism still exists, and we recognize that young people are constantly changing the lens through which they see themselves and each other. IGGAD is very interested in proposals presented by young scholars about their experiences in this topic. There is a 300-word limit for proposals and 100-word limit for bios.
The Joyner Institute looks forward to your participation in IGGAD 2027.