"Black Power, Identity and Spirituality" is the name of the paper which will be delivered by Eintou Pearl Springer later this week at a conference on Black Power at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. The Poet Laureate of Port of Spain has also been asked to perform a special reading of her poetry for the enjoyment of conference delegates.
Her paper will examine the effects, both long and short term of the Black Power Revolution on African religion and sprituality with specific reference to Trinidad and Tobago. It will discuss the critical role of the revolution in the context of African identity; and ,as well, the role that the spirituality and other elements of African culture can play in the reshaping of identity and in sustaining the ideological underpinnings of the movement.
In looking at the element of spirituality in the context of 'Black Power', Ms. Springer's contribution will add to the original body of thought on this important period of recent history.
The conference, which takes place between February 21 and 22nd, is being held to analyse the impact of the Black Power movement and its relevance to current global challenges and realities.
Following are the full details of the conference:
INTERNATIONALISING BLACK POWER II
The Centre for Caribbean Thought, UWI, (CCT) and the Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London are jointly hosting a conference ‘Internationalising Black Power II' on Feb. 21 and 22 at Mona. The first part of the conference – a retrospective analysis of the politics and social impact of the Black Power movement of the Sixties and Seventies was held at the University of London in November 2007 and featured speakers from North America, Europe and the Caribbean. Part II will continue these discussions with greater focus on the Caribbean dimensions of the movement. Among the plenary speakers and panelists will be Erna Brodber, Jamaican sociologist and novelist, Raffique Shah, Khafra Kambon and David Abdulah from Trinidad and Tobago, Andaiye from Red Thread, Guyana, Peniel Joseph from Brandeis University, Anthony Bogues & Anani Dzidzienyo from Brown University, Horace Campbell from University of Syracuse and Bill Schwarz from the University of London.
The Conference will be held from 8:30am – 6:00pm on Thursday & Friday, February 21-22, 2008 at the Executive Lecture Theatre, Mona School of Business, Sir Alister McIntyre Building.
Two books will also be launched at the Conference: ‘Culture, Politics, Race & Diaspora: The Thought of Stuart Hall' (Brian Meeks, ed) & ‘Pan Africanism, Pan Africanist & The African Liberation in the 21st Century' by Horace Campbell & Rodney Worrell.
