Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Open House 2024 & Networking Event on October 3rd! It was a fantastic opportunity for scholars, students, and members to come together and engage in meaningful conversations, spark future collaborations, and reflect on key topics in Africa and its Diasporas.
Journal of African and African Diasporic Studies (JAADS) / La revue officielle de l’Institut Harriet Tubman pour la recherche sur l’Afrique et ses diasporas (READA)
JAADS/READA is the official journal of the Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on Africa and its Diasporas. It is an international, peer-reviewed, bilingual journal that publishes research advancing our understanding of Africans and people of African descent across the diaspora. Students and scholars publishing for the first time are guided and supported throughout the publishing process via ScienceOpen.
Black History Month 2025
Each year, The Harriet Tubman Institute hosts a series of events dedicated to a chosen theme. Black History Month at Tubman addresses anti-Black racism that impacts the Black community at both local and international levels. The upcoming Black History Month’s theme is Labour. Please contact tubman@yorku.ca if you would like to propose a panel or event.
Virtual Museum Project: The Underground Railroad to St. Catharines: Harriet Tubman’s Canadian Legacy
This project will become a digital museum that tells the story of Harriet Tubman’s time in St. Catharines and how her efforts helped fugitives establish their lives in Canada. St. Catharines was the last stop on the Underground Railroad and for several years it was Tubman’s northern base of operations. Through historical photographs, textual records, and the voices of their descendants, this project pays homage to the early Black settlers in southern Ontario, Harriet Tubman, and to the descendants of those whom she guided to Canada. The Virtual Museum will go live in February 2025.
International Conference 2026: Jamaica
The Harriet Tubman Institute hosts international conferences every few years. In 2023, the International Conference, Africa and its Diasporas’ Contributions to World Civilizations, was held at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal. The upcoming conference will be held in Jamaica in 2026. Planning is still underway—stay tuned for more information.
Tubman Talks
The Harriet Tubman Institute offers Tubman Talks on Thursdays in the Resource Centre (314 York Lanes). They provide an intellectual space that fosters debate among scholars whose research interests focus on the history and contemporary experiences of Africans and people of African descent. Tubman Talks provides individual researchers, as well as research teams, with a platform for exchange. Students especially are encouraged to sign up for Talks to strengthen presentation skills and receive feedback on research. Contact Bianca Beauchemin <biancab4@yorku.ca>, Tubman Talks organizer, if you are interested in presenting.
Grants
The Harriet Tubman Institute provides various forms of support to researchers managing their grants through the Institute. Contact tubman@yorku.ca to learn more.
Research Clusters
Attendees of the Open House & Networking Event engaged in productive discussions on how members wish to organize and participate in Research Clusters.
- Labour, Movement and Mobility
- Expressive Culture and Belief Systems
- Politics, Economics and Social Justice
- Theories and Methodologies, including Oral Sources and Digital Humanities
- Genders and Sexualities
- Health and Disability
- Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics
If you are a Tubman member and would like to join a Research Cluster, please fill out the Membership Profile Update Form. If you would like to become a Tubman Member, apply here.
We invite everyone to stay connected with the Harriet Tubman Institute, whether through upcoming events, contributing to our research clusters, or publishing with JAADS. Let’s continue building a strong community together!