This year marks the 400-year anniversary of the first enslaved Africans arriving in the United States, a key event in the history of the transatlantic slave trade. The year 2019 has also been dubbed ‘The Year of Return’ by the Ghanaian government, and people of African descent have been invited to take part in a range of commemorative events centered on their own narratives.
Contributing to this wider dialogue, the Harriet Tubman Institute at York University together with the Centre for Migration Studies (CMS) at University of Ghana collaborated to present a conference on migration and African diaspora.
‘Trans-Atlantic Migration: African Diasporas in Solidarity’ was held at the University of Ghana from Aug. 6 to 9, and included more than 40 scholars from around the world. Participants presenting their research on topics such as: identity formation; reparations; development and entrepreneurship; racial oppression and health.
With emphasis on a transnational perspective that bridges migration and development, the conference was designed to examine the historical and contemporary connectivity and solidarity between African groups and individuals in the diaspora and their homelands.
The Tubman Institute and CMS are working to grow their partnership in the coming years, embodying solidarity between Africa and its diasporas.
The conference was supported by the following sponsors and partners: The Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana; The Harriet Tubman Institute, York University; York International, York University; The Office of the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (LAPS); York University Department of Geography, York University; The VPRI Office, York University; The Office of the Principal for Research, York University’s Glendon Campus; The School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, York University; and High Commission Of Canada.