Fourth Annual Martin R. Delany Symposium

The symposium will offer presentations and panels that address organizing and activism rooted in the life, ideas, and legacy of Delany, one the nation’s most influential African American leaders in the 19th century.

Tamika Nunley, Ph.D., William and Sue Gross Professor of History at Duke University, will deliver the keynote address, “At the Threshold of Liberty: Women, Slavery, and Shifting Identities,” followed by a question-and-answer session.

In addition to the keynote address, the symposium will feature three panel discussions with visiting scholars from universities and institutions across the country. These sessions will explore Delany’s political thought and activism, Black-led emigration movements, journalism and print culture, military service, gender, and debates over freedom, citizenship, and belonging in the 19th century. Please refer to the schedule below to see a full list of presenters and panel topics.
The program also includes a continental breakfast prior to the Symposium academic program.