Mercer’s Africana Studies Program will host the 10th annual meeting of the Southeast Africanist Network on Feb. 6 on the Macon campus. The Africana Studies Program is partnering with the University of Florida’s Center for African Studies to sponsor the regional conference, which is the preeminent event in the Southeast for scholars specializing in the study of Africa and the African Diaspora.
“This is an important event for our campus community as one of the 10-year goals for our University includes broadening our curriculum and vision to include non-Western traditions and cultures,” said Dr. Chester J. Fontenot Jr., Baptist Professor of English and director of Mercer’s Africana Studies Program. “In addition, this conference is an opportunity to further enrich the educational experiences of our students and enhance Mercer’s standing within this field.”
The all-day conference will be a symposium for scholars focusing on research methodologies for African and African diasporic studies. The events will be held in the Medical School Auditorium. In addition to a number of Mercer students, said Dr. Fontenot, who is organizing the conference, the sponsors are expecting as many as 40 scholars from universities in the Southeast region to participate.
The Southeast Africanist Network’s mission is to promote cooperation and collaboration among Africanist scholars in expanding the presence of African Studies programs at colleges and universities throughout the Southeast region, Dr. Fontenot said.
For more information, contact Dr. Fontenot at (478) 301-2345 or fontenot_jc@mercer.edu.
