The African American Literature and Culture Society invites abstracts (of no more than 250 words) for presentations at the annual conference of the American Literature Association (http://americanliteratureassociation.org/). We will also consider a limited number of panel proposals (of no more than 500 words).    

Inspired by this year’s conference location, Chicago, we encourage the submission of papers and proposals for panels on the topics of Black literary renaissances and movements, the Great Migration, Blackness in the Midwest, Black literary radicalism, as well as literary and filmic representations of Chicago. 

Possible paper topics include, but are not limited to: 

-The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and Black clubwomen 

-The Chicago Black Renaissance literary movement  

-The Black Arts Movement in Chicago 

-The legacies and respective works of Gwendolyn Brooks, Lorraine Hansberry, Margaret Walker, Richard Wright, and Leon Forrest 

-Black literature, positionality, and identity  

-Bluesand Hip-Hop poetics/cultural critiques 

While we welcome papers on the above themes and subthemesthat represent an explosion in African American literature, art, music, protest, and organizing, we also strongly encourage submissions on any topic related to African American literature and culture.   

Please send abstracts or proposals to Sabrina Evans (sabrina.evans@howard.edu) and Justin Smith (JustinSmith@rmc.edu) no later than January 12, 2026. Include your name and email with the abstract along with any requests for A/V equipment. Presenters must be members of AALCS by the time of the conference. Information about the Society and how to join can be found at the AALCS website: https://aalcsblog.wordpress.com/