Northeast Modern Language Association 

Boston MA  |  7-10 March 2024

https://www.buffalo.edu/nemla/convention.html

[Call for Papers]

Panel on “Diasporic Feminist Approaches to U.S. Imperialism”

https://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/20483

How do we make visible violence that is actively hidden and erased?

In what ways is testimony voiced in spite of routine acts of silencing?

This panel examines and celebrates artists and writers confronting the ongoing effects of white supremacist regimes and imperialism. Focusing namely on the U.S. and its impact around the world, speakers illuminate both the histories of U.S.-backed atrocities and the innovative creative-critical techniques employed to protest and upend the political overreach. Together, the panel highlights theoretical and artistic interventions in diasporic feminisms to support current discussions of transnational feminist solidarities.

The need for these conversations is evidenced by the stasis surrounding projects like the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp in Cuba, which has been operating for over two decades. We are routinely reminded by revolutionaries that such continued inaction is not acceptable. Queer black feminist Patrisse Cullors calls us to fight the state rather than make it stronger, which has been echoed for years by activists like Angela Y. Davis, who emphasizes the strength in “our combined spirits, our collective intellects, and our many bodies” (Freedom is a Constant Struggle, 131). While diverse perspectives and collaborative strength are needed to end U.S. imperial violence within the U.S. and around the world, the methods through which such discourses are navigated may vary and deviate from the oft-considered public speeches and marches. This panel discusses a range of writers’ and artists’ articulations of dissent and critique, with consideration for how Western feminist understandings of protest can privilege explicit speech acts. As Patti Duncan has argued, such limited lenses can incorrectly perceive immigrant women’s ‘silent’ or less direct approaches as ‘un-feminist.’ By studying varied critical-creative responses to U.S. imperialism, the panel reveals a range of tools for fostering diasporic feminist protest and challenging the ‘invisibility’ of insidious state-sanctioned violence.

By Saturday, October 15, 2023, submit the following using the NeMLA Submission Portal (https://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/20483):

1. Paper Title (80 characters)
2. Abstract (200-300 words)
3. Brief Bio
4. Media Needs

Questions can be directed toward Dr. Jocelyn E. Marshall at jocelyne_marshall@emerson.edu.