| |
2012 Black New England Conference
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Featuring Keynote Speakers, John W. Franklin
National Museum of African American History & Culture

Breaking Old Grounds: The Challenge of Interpreting Black History
“The study of African American History provides an important context in which much, if not the whole, of the history of the United States can be taught and studied.” John Hope Franklin
America has long struggled with ways of interpreting and integrating the legacy and impact of race at historical sites and in the classroom. This struggle to remember a fuller, richer and more complex American history is fraught with uncomfortable truths, misinterpretations and embarrassment, for the Black past serves as an unforgiving mirror of America’s ideals and promises. How then do we find effective ways to talk about this forgotten and often downplayed part of our history?
Through presentations, discussions and a workshop, this conference will be an open and candid exploration of those challenges so that those who preserve and interpret African American life will discover useful and inclusive ways to engage the public with a richly nuanced history that is replete with great joy and great sorrow.
The Black New England Conference, now in its 7th year, is a national conference that gathers scholars, teachers, researchers, community members and members of local organizations to share their work and insights on the Black experience past and present in northern New England.
EVENT SCHEDULE
8:00 - 9:00 am |
REGISTRATION & Continental Breakfast |
9:00 - 10:30 am |
SESSION #1: In the Land of Words: Interpreting the Black Voice
- Reginald Wilburn, “African American History in Literature”
- Anne Farrow, “Not Seen Not Looked For”
- Joseph Onosko, “Developing a Black History Curriculum”
|
|
|
10:45 - 12:15 pm |
SESSION #2: Searching for Daylight: Black History in Museums
- Napoleon Jones Henderson, “ The Independent Historic Home”
- Gerald W.R. Ward, “ African American Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Past, Present and Future”
- Kristin L. Gallas, “Differentiating the Undifferentiated: Interpreting Slavery at Historic Houses and Museums”
|
1:00 - 1:30 pm |
LUNCH PERFORMANCE
- Integrating the Wentworth Hotel
|
1:45 - 3: 15 pm |
SESSION #3: Race, Code and Privilege: A Workshop
- Sean McGhee and Otis Douce
|
3:30 - 5:30 pm |
SESSION #4: Keynote Address
- John W. Franklin, ““Why African American History remains hidden”
|
5:30 - 6:30 pm |
CLOSING RECEPTION |
|
|
 |