2018 VSU Social Injustice Conference

VSU Dept. of Sociology and Criminal Justice Presents

6th ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL INJUSTICE:
ls America Great Yet? Critical Perspectives in Race and Ethnic Relations, Politics, and Social Injustice in the Aftermath of Charlottesville
Location: Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA 23806
Date: April 12-13, 2018
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dr. Jason M. Williams, Montclair State University

The election of Donald Trump ushered in an extreme socio-political shift that was instigated by a campaign that played on both overt and covert racist rhetoric, and the racist sentiments that were harbored for President Obama for the last 8 years. The shift led America from the illusion of a "Post Racial" and "Colorblind" society that masked covert racism under impressions of racial harmony to anovert and celebratory resurgence of "Neo Jim Crow." America has reverted back to a time that promoted racial division and appeared to lean toward resurrecting white Supremacy, patriarchy, ethnocentrism, and heterosexist domination, under the mantra of "Making America Great Again." it is the "again" that takes us to the brutal global and national history of enslavement, Holocaust, gender discrimination, sexism, sexual exploitation, and homophobism. We have now reached the era that should lead America to question, "in the absence of true equality, true inclusion, and even liberation, how are we defining America and what does it mean to "make it great again?"

The theme of the 6th Annual Conference on Social injustice has dedicated this space to exploring the contradiction that is presented in our political themes and messages. Thus, we are seeking papers from all disciplines from Academic Institutions, Community Organizations, Human Rights Advocacy Groups, Community Members, Police Departments, etc. that will contribute to providing a multi-disciplinary approach that will facilitate multi-disciplinary discourse on race and ethnic relations, political, social, and economic life, and all forms of discrimination, isms, and issues of social injustice from varying perspectives.

The topics will include, but are certainly not limited to:

  • White Supremacy
  • Sexual Violence
  • LGBTQIA issues
  • Discrimination
  • Politics and Race
  • Ethnic Studies (We are interested in papers that explore the parallel of oppression between the African American and Jewish Holocaust)
  • Police Brutality
  • State Sponsored Violence
  • Critical Perspectives in Policing in America
  • Islamaphobia
  • Immigration
  • Mass Incarceration
  • School to Prison Pipeline

We are pleased to be partnering with Howard University in producing this conference: Submissions of individual papers, roundtables, and thematic panels should be sent to: Dr. Nishaun T. Battle, nbattle@vsu.edu by January, 15, 2018, with a final submission date of February 12, 2018. Questions can be directed to any of the following: