ALA 2016 - 42nd Annual Conference of the African Literature Association

As Atlanta gets ready to host the Annual Conference of the African Literature Association in April 2016, our theme is inspired by the words of the city’s most famous son, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Historically, the pursuit of justice and dignity connects Atlanta to the varied experiences of African peoples, as the US Civil Rights Movement drew inspiration from struggles for decolonization and, in turn, inspired these struggles. Atlantans remain committed both to understanding and to pursuing civil and human rights, as attested by the presence in the city of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the Carter Center. The hosting universities also recognize their importance, as Kennesaw State University will hold an International Summit on Civil and Human Rights later this year and Emory University just announced the establishment of the John Lewis Chair in Civil Rights and Social Justice.
Justice and human dignity have long remained central tenets of cultural production from Africa and the African diaspora in the quest for freedom and recognition. Artists, filmmakers and writers from Africa and its diaspora often explore the possibilities for justice and the challenges to human dignity in the face of various forms of oppression. Whether they work as creators of fictional worlds or as critics of the worlds they inhabit, these artists launch a call for critical rethinking and socio-political action. The just treatment of human beings and the preservation of their dignity on the African continent and beyond recur as images, motifs and concepts for urgent consideration, critical re-imagination and scholarly enquiry. These literary and cultural texts offer alternative visions that counter the myopic and prejudicial media portrayals of Africa and its people.
Recognizing the many challenges to justice that remain?and the complicated, mediated avenues by which the arts engage with these challenges?the organizers believe that an emphasis on justice and human dignity will give room for critically reflecting on, as well as celebrating, the current state of creative work from Africa and the diaspora.