Virtual: Roundtable Discussion: Conceptualizations of Race, Blackness, and Identity in North Africa

While there are rich cultural and historical connections between North and sub-Saharan Africa, complex divisions exist in the conceptualization of African, Black, and Arab identities. In this roundtable discussion, panelists will address the legacies of colonialism, slavery and the construction of racial hierarchies in Africa, and explore how these factors shape contemporary manifestations of anti-Blackness on the continent, particularly focusing on Arabic-speaking contexts. The discussion will also draw connections to issues of colorism in the broader African diaspora.

Featuring panelists Razan Idris (University of Pennsylvania), Afifa Ltifi (Cornell University), and Philip Murphy (Independent Scholar). The discussion will be moderated by Omar Ali (UNC-Greensboro).

Registration is required.

Sponsored by the UNC Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies and the Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies. Co-sponsored by the UNC African Studies Center, Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, and The Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History. This webinar is part of the Omar ibn Said Initiative of the UNC Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies and the Duke University Middle East Studies Center.