Fall 2021

August

• AFAM Meet and Greet Cookout
  This event was held at the Gambrell Rooftop Patio (3rd Floor) and was open to faculty, students, and staff.

September

• Mahogany Music Festival Featuring Colour of Music
  This festival was presented by the School of Music in collaboration with the Auntie Karen Foundation. Events were held at the USC School of Music Recital Hall and the Koger Center.
• “A Legacy of Pride and Purpose” Roundtable
  This virtual roundtable marked the launch of the 50th Anniversary celebration.
• Faculty Conversation Series: Salandra Bowman
  This virtual lecture explored Black studies, Black girlhood, and participatory inquiry.
• “Downing of a Flag” Documentary Screening and Panel
  Held in Gambrell Hall, this event featured a screening and panel discussion on the history and impact of the Confederate battle flag in South Carolina.

October

• An Evening with Dr. Kelli Morgan
  This public lecture explored how family and community inform curatorial practice.
• African Americans and Graphic Novels with Joel Christian Gill
  This virtual event was cosponsored with Richland Library and the African-American History and Cultural Events Committee.
• Homecoming Tailgate
  This event was held at South Carolina ETV and was open to faculty, staff, and alumni.
• AFAM 50 Student Slam
  This event was postponed to Spring 2022.
• Virtual Residency: Dr. Brenda Dixon Gottschild
  This residency explored performance and the Black dancing body as a measure of culture and included lectures, forums, and a roundtable discussion.

November

• Southern Exposure New Music Series: “At War With Ourselves – 400 Years of You”
  This multi-day series featured composer Michael Abels, poet Nikky Finney, and the Kronos Quartet, exploring the African American experience through music and performance.
• Artist in Residence: Dr. Thomas F. DeFrantz
  This residency explored Black creativity as a form of Black thought through lectures, performances, and discussions.
• Faculty Conversation Series: Tanya Wideman-Davis
  This virtual lecture examined the role of Black female bodies in ballet.
• Trip to Pearl Fryar’s Topiary Garden
  Participants explored the history and cultural significance of the garden through a guided tour, workshop, and film screening.
• Mossville Documentary Screening
  This event featured a screening of Mossville: When Great Trees Fall followed by a discussion with the executive producer.

Spring 2022

January

• Invisible No More: Book Launch and Roundtable
  This virtual event featured reflections and discussions on the African American experience at the University of South Carolina.
• Visiting Scholar Fred Moten
  This event was postponed to March 2022.
• Faculty Conversation Series: Alyssa Collins
  This virtual lecture was free and open to the public.

February

• Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham Talk
  This event explored evolving cultural practices in museums in response to contemporary social challenges.
• South to America Book Talk by Imani Perry
  This talk examined the American South as central to understanding the nation’s history and future.
• Faculty Conversation Series: Thaddeus Davis
  This discussion explored Black identity and creative practice within academic spaces.
• Artist in Residence: Patdro Harris
  This residency included class visits and discussions on African American theatre practices.

March

• A Candid Conversation with Dr. Cornel West
  This virtual discussion explored civic thought, philosophy, and public discourse.
• Faculty Conversation Series: Deena Isom
• The Backbone Documentary Screening and Panel
  This event highlighted the contributions of Black women to the University of South Carolina.
• Featured Speaker: Ben Crump
• Faculty Conversation Series: Pamela Martin
  This event was rescheduled from an earlier date.
• Visiting Scholar Fred Moten
  This visit included seminars and a public discussion on Black study and its future.

April

• Faculty Conversation Series: Birgitta Johnson
• Artist-Scholar in Residence: Rosalynde LeBlanc Loo
  This residency included lectures, class visits, and a documentary screening exploring dance and performance.
• Angela Y. Davis with Nikky Finney: The Irresistible Conversation
  This event featured the annual Robert Smalls Lecture.
• South Carolina Africana Studies Symposium
  This symposium brought together scholars to discuss the development of Africana Studies programs across the state.