UC Front and Center at National Council for Black Studies Conference

The

Department of Africana Studies

in the University of Cincinnati’s McMicken College of Arts and Sciences is hosting the 35th annual National Council for Black Studies Conference in Cincinnati March 17-19.

The conference will take place at the Westin downtown and will draw more than 500 people to Cincinnati from around the world to discuss topics of health care, disparities, politics, history, religion and education in the Africana community.

What

: “Africana Studies: Promoting Healthy Minds, Bodies and Souls,” the 35th annual conference of the National Council for Black Studies

Where

: The Westin Cincinnati, 21 E. Fifth Street, Cincinnati, OH, 45202

When

: March 17-19

The conference is open to the Greater Cincinnati community and UC alumni for $25. For more information, visit http://www.ncbsonline.org/.

Terry Kershaw, department head of Africana Studies, played a crucial role in bringing the conference to Cincinnati. As a board member and journal editor of the National Council for Black Studies, Kershaw saw the opportunities that would emerge if Cincinnati were to host the conference.

“Cincinnati has a large black population and the conference gives the community an opportunity to interact with nationally and internationally known scholars on issues that impact their lives,” Kershaw says.

While the conferences used to focus heavily on historic, literary and social science presentations, Kershaw wanted this year’s focus to have an applied focus on the community. This year’s theme is “Africana Studies: Promoting Healthy Minds, Bodies and Souls.”

“We want to have discussions that could improve life chances and life circumstances,” Kershaw says.

The conference, which features 190 sessions and 40 student panels, will include 23 presentations by UC faculty and students. UC presenters will discuss topics ranging from hip hop, health care, university retention, social change and more.

“Having the conference in Cincinnati is great for the Department of Africana Studies,” Kershaw says. “It helps propel us nationally as a department and elevates our status in the national arena.”

Community members are encouraged to attend. Tickets can be bought at the registration table inside the Westin. To see a full conference schedule, visit

http://www.ncbsonline.org/

.

The conference is supported by the dean’s office in University of Cincinnati’s McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, University of Louisville, Ohio University and Ohio State University.

Read more about UC’s Department of Africana Studies:

New UC Faculty Member Tackles Health Disparities in Cincinnati

From grassroots efforts to policy innovation, the key is building relationships, Africana Studies Assistant Professor Edward Wallace says.

UC Creates Permanent Ties with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

A gift to the Department of Africana Studies makes Professor Nikki Taylor an official liaison between the University of Cincinnati and the Freedom Center.

Kershaw Ready for Challenges and Opportunities

The new department head of African and African American Studies hopes to strengthen the department's academic and activist reputation.