William & Mary will host the 10th Biennial Conference of the Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora (ASWAD) Nov. 5-9, 2019. The conference brings world renowned scholars, artists and activists to explore “Remembrance, Renaissance, Revolution: The Meaning of Freedom in the African World Over Time and Space.” ASWAD 2019 will examine the legacies of enslavement, examine freedom across the globe and remember the Africans who arrived in Virginia 400 years ago in 1619.
The conference is a signature event for American Evolution, Virginia’s commemoration of 1619. “Williamsburg is the right place and 2019 is the right time for this historic event, since the year 2019 marks the 400th anniversary of the origins of slavery in what became the United States,” said Robert Trent Vinson, Frances L. and Edwin L. Cummings Associate Professor History and Africana Studies at W&M and project leader for the ASWAD 2019 Conference.