Social Justice Conference

Social Justice and the Practices of World (Un)Making 

Stonehill’s Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity and Social Justice will host “Social Justice and the Practices of World (Un)Making,” a student-led and student-centered conference that will imagine how “racism, racial justice, indigenous dispossession, settler coloniality, transphobia and white supremacy shape the worlds we make and how we can remake those worlds.”  The library encourages would-be presenters to reach out (we will be available during your winter break) for recommendations for useful resources and research support when crafting your proposal. Those who wish to present a paper for the conference must submit an abstract by Saturday, Jan. 20 

The conference seeks to consider world-making through the lens of Black Feminist theory. Below are some themes, although potential presenters are encouraged to explore other topics and approaches. 

• How can we construct worlds and belonging during this time of anti-Muslim racism and anti-Semitism? 
• How has COVID 19 impacted the ways we live and manage a world amidst a pandemic and racism? 
• What does world-making look like for minoritized communities? 
• How has education and the curriculum been important in the production of worlds?
• What are ways we can conceptualize race, Asian America, and anti-Asian racism both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic? 
• How are worlds created by Black communities and Black diasporas during these times of anti-Blackness? 
• How can we understand Latinx lives that challenge national categories and borders in the process of world-making? 
• What are the relationships between science, knowledge production, and racemaking?
• What are the ways that people center world-making through desires and pleasures? 
• What are the intersectional projects and processes that are crucial to world-making in the service of racial justice? 

There are a number of library resources and services that can assist would-be presenters as you craft your proposals. 

Research Consultations 

Feel free to book an appointment with a reference librarian for one-on-one research assistance. Librarians can help you identify databases that might be particularly useful, find relevant print and eBooks, access digital collections and order other materials via interlibrary loan. We recognize that most of you will be off campus during the break and we are more than happy to meet with you via zoom. Feel free to use LibCal to book an appointment electronically. If you do not see an appointment time that is convenient, please email librarydeskgroup@stonehill.edu. 

Databases 

Gender and Sexuality Studies database – This resource offers access to scholarly journals and magazines covering topics including gender studies, family, marital issues, and more. Here you will find articles engaging with Black Feminist theory from publications such as Journal of International Women’s Studies, Gender & Society, Feminist Studies and more.  

Exploring Race in Society database – This database provides context and solutions-oriented points of view within a scholarly collection of proprietary and licensed content on topics related to race, ethnicity, diversity, and inclusiveness. 

Print and EBooks 

Below is a sample of some of the library’s print and eBooks that could be useful as you explore your topic.  

• An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (2014) 
• Antisemitism on the Rise: The 1930s and Today edited by Ari Kohen and Gerald J. Steinacher (2021)
• Beyoncé in the World: Making Meaning with Queen Bey in Troubled Times by Christina Baade and Kristin McGee; foreword by Janelle Hobson (2021)
• Christian Supremacy: Reckoning with the Roots of Antisemitism and Racism by Magda Teter (2023)
• The Coming Race Wars: A Cry for Justice, From Civil Rights to Black Lives Matter by William Pannell; with introduction by Jemar Tisby (2021)     
• Indigenous Justice and Gender edited by Marianne O. Nielsen and Karen Jarratt-Snider (2023)
• The Pandemic Divide: How COVID increased Inequality in America edited by Gwendolyn L. Wright, Lucas Hubbard, and William A. Darity Jr. (2022)
• Queer Kinship: Race, Sex, Belonging, Form edited by Tyler Bradway and Elizabeth Freeman (2022)
• The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes Religious Freedom by Sahar Aziz (2022)
• The Third Reconstruction: America's Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-First Century by Peniel E. Joseph (2022) 

Submitting Your Proposal  

Abstracts (no longer than 200 words) are due by January 20, 2023. Please submit to CRESUGconferenceStonehill@gmail.com. This is the contact point for any questions regarding the conference.