CFP: Self-Liberation in the Diaspora

From the 16th to 19th centuries, enslaved people of African descent found multiple ways to resist their oppressors and liberate themselves by any means necessary. Some of these strategies involved work stoppages, the poisoning of farm animals, and the breaking of tools to disrupt the production of goods on plantations and in the mines. In other cases, enslaved people purchased their freedom by participating in entrepreneurship at the marketplace, playing the lottery, or competing in sporting matches like boxing or cockfighting for the entertainment of their enslavers. However, some of the most profound stories of self-liberation have been about enslaved people training themselves in martial arts like capoeira to fight their oppressors, recruiting others to stage revolts against enslavers, and escaping to freedom in maroon communities. Furthermore, the editors of Black Perspectives, the award-winning blog of the African American Intellectual Society (AAIHS), invite submissions from scholars who seek to add to the ongoing scholarship of C.L.R. James, Emília Viotti da Costa, Vincent Brown, Ada Ferrer, Aisha Finch and others who have contributed to the history of self-emancipation and freedom in the African Diaspora. These essays should consider, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Lesser-known slave revolts, rebellions, and uprisings
• Uncommon strategies enslaved people used to achieve emancipation
• Development and existence of maroon communities during the era of enslavement

Submissions should be between 750 and 1,500 words. They must be submitted to the senior editors no later than Friday, May 31st at 11:59 pm Eastern time. With your submission, please provide your bio (250-300 words) and a headshot (for use if your essay is accepted).

All submissions will undergo a peer review process before they are accepted. Please click here for more details on the blog’s submission guidelines as well as information regarding format and citations.