People of Irish and African descent have lived in the United States for more than four centuries. Their respective trajectories—marked by complexity, conflict, and collaboration—have been shaped by American conceptions of identity, hierarchies of belonging, and access to pathways of upward mobility. The aim of this conference and programming is to examine the constellations of Blackness and Irishness in the history of the United States and beyond and use their example to ponder present conundrums around race, ethnicity, inequality and identity politics.
“Where Do We Go from Here? Revisiting Black Irish Relations and Responding to a Transnational Moment” will take place on three Fridays in November in partnership with NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. The conference will run online on Friday November 5, Friday November 12, and Friday November 19.
Attendees are required to register for each day they plan to attend. The link will work for the entire day. The conference will run from 9am to about 5pm ET each day.
All sessions will be recorded.
Friday, 19 November 2021
9-9.15am ET Welcome and opening remarks, Lisa Coleman, NYU’s Senior Vice President for Global Inclusion and Strategic Innovation
9.15-10.15am ET Emma Dabiri (author of Twisted/Don't Touch My Hair and What White People Can Do Next) in conversation with Kim DaCosta and Miriam Nyhan Grey
10.30am-11.45am ET Rachel Swarns, New York Times/New York University, “The Irish-American Priests who Sold Human Beings: Georgetown University, the Catholic Church and the American Slave Trade”. Moderated by Stephanie McCurry, Columbia University
12-1.15pm ET Miriam Nyhan Grey, New York University
BREAK
2-3.15pm ET Touré Reed, Illinois State University. Introduced by James R. Barrett, Emeritus, University of Illinois
3.30-4.45pm ET James Carroll (National Book awardee) “The Politics of White Supremacy: A View from Irish Boston”
5-6pm ET Ruth Negga (leading actor in Loving (2016) and Passing (2021)) in conversation with Kim DaCosta and Miriam Nyhan Grey.
To read the Black, Brown and Green Voices report here
To view a discussion of the project see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lY8m2I8BgQ
For the most up to date details of the conference refer here