W.E.B. DUBOIS, RACE, AND THE NEW MILLENNIUM:
A SYMPOSIUM CELEBRATING THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY
OF THE PUBLICATION OF The Souls of Black Folk

Inaugural Mercer University Symposium
March 23-25, 2000
Mercer University, Macon, Georgia

Scholars and graduate students are invited to attend or submit papers for an inter-disciplinary symposium assessing the way DuBois’ theories of race have structured racial discourse in the 20th century and their applicability for the new millennium. The symposium will focus on the place of The Souls of Black Folk, DuBois’ most prominent work, in the analysis of race.

The two-day symposium will feature 10 keynote speakers from a number of disciplines within the humanities, including African-American Studies, literary studies, sociology, religion, history, and educational policy studies. In addition, there will be 12 break-out panel sessions; suggested topics for these panels are listed under the Call for Papers.

A special keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Charles Long, Professor Emeritus, History of Religion, Department of Religious Studies, and Former Director, Center for Black Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Other distinguished speakers include:

The symposium also includes two evening forums that involve the local Macon community. The first forum focuses on the teaching of The Souls of Black Folk; one panel will be offered on teaching DuBois to undergraduates and the other will feature teaching units on DuBois developed by local high school teachers for their students. A second forum on Racial Differences, Multiculturalism, and Diversity will feature symposium scholars and local community leaders discussing race relations in the nation today and their strategies for the future.

Symposium Director:
Chester J. Fontenot, Jr., Baptist Professor of English and Chair, Department of English.

Symposium Co-Directors:
Mary Alice Morgan, Associate Professor of English;
Sarah Gardner, Assistant Professor of History.

Registration and Lodging

Registration for the conference is limited to 150 and the deadline is March 1, 2000. Registrations will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. You may register with a credit card on-line at our secure site.

A registration fee of $35.00 is required of all participants. This fee includes a welcoming luncheon on the first day of the conference. Tickets for a closing banquet may be purchased.

Limited funding is available for travel money for graduate students. Students seeking funding should check the appropriate box on the registration form. [As of February, 2000, all graduate student assistance funds have been awarded.]

Detailed hotel information, maps of Macon and Mercer University, and a final schedule of events will be sent to all registrants after the registration deadline. Blocks of rooms at the discounted conference rate will be held until March 1, 2000. Rates will increase after that date. Registrants should call the hotels to make their own reservations and ask for the “Mercer University DuBois Symposium.”

Macon is an hour and a half drive south of Atlanta on I-75. Registrants flying into Atlanta may take the Macon shuttle which runs on the hour from 8 a.m.-11 p.m. weekdays. Mercer University will provide hourly shuttle transportation between the conference hotels and the campus.

The symposium takes place during Macon’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Registrants who stay over on Saturday will be able to attend such events as an arts and crafts festival, jazz concert, and downtown street party.