2026 Herman C. Hudson Symposium on:

“(re)VISION: Through Fracture, Focus. Through Vision, Freedom.”

27-28 February 2026

Call for Papers

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: FRIDAY February 1, 2026

Dear Colleagues: 

In the spirit of Colored Conventions, where visions were transformed into strategies for collective freedom, the Herman C. Hudson Symposium invites us to reconsider, readjust, and reimagine in a time of shifting political and cultural landscapes. This event centers the lived experiences and wisdom of Black people—spanning African Americans, members of the diaspora, and the continent itself—who are committed to civil rights, economic sovereignty, social justice, and community engagement. (re)VISION fosters cross-disciplinary and intergenerational dialogue, acknowledging the resilience of Black communities, documenting dissent, and re-envisioning the next chapter in the long fight for Black liberation. It challenges us to reflect on how we currently experience freedom and how we can shape Black life, critically engaging with culture, ideologies, epistemologies, aesthetics, and practices that sustain freedom as both a guiding principle and a lived reality.

We welcome submissions that engage with themes including, but not limited to the following: 

• Histories and futures of Black organizing 

• Means of education and educating 

• Cultural production as resistance and (re)visioning 

• Community practices in times of crisis 

• Economic sovereignty and community-based liberation models 

• Freedom practices in art, literature, and performance 

Please complete this form to submit your paper, and email Latonya Wilson at latowils@iu.edu for questions.

We look forward to your submissions and welcoming you to IU Bloomington.