Attend the Research-In-Progress Brown Bag Presentation at APSA with Niambi Carter of Howard University

Research-in-Progress Brown Bag Speaker Series
Please join us for a series of research discussions happening this fall at APSA! The speaker series is hosted by the Centennial Center for Political Science and Public Affairs and will take place at APSA headquarters in Washington, DC.

What: APSA BrownBag featuring Dr. Niambi M. Carter, Howard University
When:
 Wednesday, May 16, 2018 12:30 – 1:30pm.
Where: 1527 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036.
Directions: Directions from the Q Street Dupont Circle Metro exit available here.

Beyond Africa: Forging a Black Political Consciousness in Canada, 1830-1865

Niambi Carter, Howard University 

ABSTRACT: Black immigration, or “back to Africa” movements as they are sometimes called, are often treated as ephemera. At best, these movements are categorized as a rhetorical device of black nationalists; at worst, they are considered failed philosophical commitments that never materialized in Black liberation. What this often dismissive history misses is the important interventions that “dreaming Africa” engendered. For practical, political, and emotional reasons a majority of Blacks did not return to Africa. In fact, many Blacks, even those sympathetic to the cause of repatriation, resisted the call to return to the motherland. Still, their inability, disinterest, or reluctance in returning to their ancestral home did not dampen Black desires to seek better fortunes outside of America. Escaping America was the primary consideration, location was a distant second. While Blacks were debating the many possible destinations, the most viable option was Canada. By treating calls to go “back to Africa” literally we overlook the importance of Canada in forming a Black American racial consciousness. By looking at first hand narratives from Black publications of the 19th century, I argue “back to Africa” movements were about using immigration as a tool for Black liberation. Viewed in this light, this call is more than a mere slogan. Rather, “back to Africa” movements allowed Blacks to create more robust visions of freedom and independence. Thus, this paper deepens our understanding of Black identity formation in the period and the myriad ways Black Americans envisioned their freedom and ultimate liberation.

BIO: Niambi Carter is a proud member of the Department of Political Science at Howard University. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University (2007) working primarily in the area of American Politics with a specific focus on Race and Ethnic Politics. She is the recipient of a number of fellowships and awards from organizations such as the Ford Foundation, the Consortium for Faculty Diversity, and the Western Political Science Association. Her dissertation research on African American public opinion on immigration is the material for her book manuscript currently under development. Prof. Carter is also actively involved in other work that examines lynching and race in American politics and the political ideology of African American Republicans. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Politics; Political Psychology; Politics, Groups,and Identities; the Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy; the DuBois Review; Politics and Gender; and many others.

What: APSA BrownBag featuring Niambi Carter, PhD, Duke University
When:
 Wednesday, May 16, 2018 12:30 – 1:30pm.
Where: 1527 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036.
Directions: Directions from the Q Street Dupont Circle Metro exit available here.

Street parking is limited, but there are lots available nearby.