October 22, 23 & 24, 1998

Keynote Speaker
Professor Martin Bernal, Internationally-Acclaimed Author of Black Athena

Keynote Speech Title: "European Images of Africa: Tale of Two Names, Ethiop and N----"

Conference Description: The focus of this conference is premised on the recognition that Africa, like other non-western cultures, has suffered from what Edward Said has identified as the phenomenon of "Orientalism": throughout history Africa has been misrepresented and devalued when compared with western civilizations by images that stress negative values such as disorder, violence, anarchy, and laziness as enshrined, for instance, in historical, literary and artistic representations of Africa , as well as in “documentary” description (including that written by missionaries) and colonial policies. This conference will explore the history of western attempts to categorize the “self” and the “other” in terms of a hierarchy of superiority versus inferiority, a phenomenon which extends its roots as far back as Aristotelian philosophy: man versus woman, freeman versus slave, Greek versus barbarian. By exploring the history of Western thoughts and ideas, and how these came to construct the definition of Africa as we “know” it and have known it over the centuries, we can begin to understand African civilizations better and give them their due place in history.

Our conference features papers in diverse interdisciplinary fields -- such as political science, philosophy and religion, literature, anthropology, sociology, linguistics, women's studies, cultural studies, postcolonial studies, history, Black American and Diaspora studies, economics, classical tradition, etc. These papers will examine idiosyncratic aspects of the African world and/or focus on traditional western preconceptions of Africa and their historical construction and divergence from Africa's sociohistorical and sociocultural realities.

Registration Fee, Deadline and Requirements

Registration Fee

• The fee for non-Montclair State University members is $75.00 for both the speakers and the general public (this amount includes the keynote-address banquet). Make checks payable to SORAC/MSU. For planning purposes we ask that you pre-register by returning contact information (e.g.: name, address, etc.), along with your check or money-order to: Dr. Daniel Mengara, SORAC, French Department, Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043. Conference registration forms can be printed out from here. Please mail the form together with your payment to the address above.
• Montclair State Members: There is no registration fee for Montclair State University's members. MSU members will however make sure they have their MSU ID with them as they access conference rooms. THis will help us distinguish them from non-MSU members (Note that SORAC will, indeed, welcome donations that can help support its cultural activities). However, All MSU members (Faculty, staff and/or students) must pay a banquet fee of $30 if they wish to attend Professor Martin Bernal's keynote-address banquet (The banquet will be followed by a party featuring African rhythms).

Deadlines & Requirements

• Speakers at the conference: the registration deadline is set for August 15, 1998. To be included in the final program to be mailed out no later than August 20, please make sure your registration fees reach us by the August 15 deadline.
• General Public:  Due to the exceptional number of people we are expecting, we strongly recommend that you register early. Space is limited!!
• The keynote-address banquet: because of limited seating, we reserve the right to limit the number of people at the banquet. We recommend that you register early, and let us know if you intend to attend the dinner or not.