Race and Racism as Lived Experiences in North Africa
Race and racism are deeply complex notions in the Middle East and North Africa historically and contemporarily. The racial hegemony of “whiteness” and the dispossession of minorities in these regions not only preceded the Western conceptualization of race and racism but also emerged before these analytic discourses in Western Europe came to exist. As a result, neither the “Islamic” nor the Western discourses on race have historically understood or captured the experiences of marginalized communities. Even so, there are several parallels between the two different regions in the themes and arguments pertaining to the nature of being racially marginalized or victimized by racism. We have conceived this symposium as a venue to pursue the ongoing work of new epistemological approaches to how we recognize racism and activist scholarship in the field of race, colorism and anti-black racism in North Africa. The panelists will ask the hard questions about race/lineage-based discrimination and other racial disparities. The debate fits in CMS mission that “adheres to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, upholding all ideals that center issues of inclusion, equality, equity and diverse representation through collaborative scholarly activities between the US and the Maghrib.” We commit to these principles in “the efforts to advance meaningful change in the fight for equality and social justice at ASU and beyond.”
Keynote Speech (10–11 a.m.):
Robin Kelley (UCLA, CMS), a keynote speech on “Black Internationalism and Race.”
Panel I (11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.):
Chouki El Hamel, moderator (ASU, CMS)
Eve Troutt Powell (UPenn)
Hannah Barker (ASU)
Rogaia Abusharaf (SFS-Georgetown University)
Salah Trabelsi (Lyon 2-France, CMS)
Mehdi Alioua (UIR-Morocco)
Panel II (1:30–3 p.m.):
Aomar Boum, moderator (UCLA, CMS)
Brahim El Guabli (Williams, CMS)
Khadija Massaoudi (Freelance artist, Netherlands)
Yacine Daddi Addoun (Emory, CMS)
Timothy Cleaveland (UGA, CMS)
Leila Tayeb (NYU Abu Dhabi)
This event is co-sponsored by: The Center for Maghrib Studies, The School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, The School of International Letters and Cultures, Dean of Humanities and Dean of Social Sciences.