#FindtheSun #FindtheLorde
Finding Sun in a Sunless Place
CUNY Lehman College
Conference Date: Saturday, June 19th, 2021
CALL FOR PAPERS DEADLINE: June 11th, 2021
Organizer: Chanta Shenell Palmer

“I had to examine, in my dreams as well as in my immune-function tests, the devastating effects of overextension. Overextending myself is not stretching myself. I had to accept how difficult it is to monitor the difference. Necessary for me as cutting down on sugar. Crucial. Physically. Psychically. Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” – Audre Lorde

The Combahee River Collective and Audre Lorde’s ideologies intersect at many points but one that has resonated with me throughout my time in academia is that radical politics stem from our own intersectional identities. As we journey through these academic spaces, our identities and self-awareness have the power to transform our lives and the fields in which we study.

In an ever-evolving world, self-preservation is paramount. Historically, people of color have maintained survival through the instruments of community building and prioritization of wellness. Finding the Sun in a Sunless Place aims to foster a safe space for conversations of wellness, and give participants the tools to advocate for and facilitate discussions on wellness and academia in their own communities. This conference aims to answer several questions: How do we turn Audre Lorde’s praxis on self-preservation into practice in Academia? How do we approach graduate school holistically in an American society that has aimed to both divide and conquer, and dehumanize since its inception? How do we use the external (resources) to liberate the internal (physical, emotional, spiritual wellness)?

Proposal and abstract submissions are due by May 31st, 2021 11:59pm

Please send a title and a 150-250 word abstract (1-2 paragraphs) to this google form.

We encourage interdisciplinary departments like the Digital Humanities, Anthropology We invite Undergraduates, Graduates, and Post-Doctoral students with intersectional BIPOC experiences to submit Individual Abstracts, Panels, or “Kitchen Table” Conversation on the following topics:
Black Feminist Methods
Queer Wellness
Black Girlhood
Black Digital Humanities
Intersectional Feminisms
Indigenous Wellness Practices
Self-Care for People of Color
Audre Lorde
Combahee River Collective
Decolonized Approaches to Self-Preservation