Recently, we’ve seen millions of people around the world take to the streets to demand justice and social transformation. The senseless killings of unarmed Black people in the US, South Africa and elsewhere by law enforcement – along with the health and economic disparities laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic – underscore the severity and global reach of anti-Black racism. Now is the time to engage in long-term thinking and action.
We are calling for abstracts that assess trends and identify opportunities that will impact Black people and communities of colour over the next 10 to 20 years. We’re inviting scholars, activists, artists and practitioners to join us in imagining a racially just future and determining the steps needed to get there. A selection of these abstracts will be commissioned into longer papers for publication to inform our and other leaders’ work to advance racial justice and equity.
We know that trends relating to identity, capital, technology, governance (including law enforcement, control and confinement), climate change, and others will likely evolve in ways that exacerbate or mitigate racial inequities in the coming decades. That’s why we believe it is imperative to imagine into the future and lay claim to a more equitable world. This is an opportunity to shed light on critical trends that are not receiving sufficient attention, as well as to spark new thinking and action.
ABSTRACT TOPICS
AFRE is interested in exploring the implications of the following and/or other trends that are not receiving sufficient attention but are expected to substantially impact the wellbeing of Black people and other communities of colour (inclusive of intersectional identities) over the next 10 to 20 years. As COVID-19 has shown us, unanticipated events can dramatically exacerbate racial inequality. This project aims to enable the racial equity field to peer ahead and prepare to respond.
Identity: This includes inter-alia culture, gender, sexuality, new definitions of race, and new forms of identity.
Capital: This includes inter-alia capitalism, economic restructuring, financialisation, globalisation and new forms of extractive capital (i.e., big data), social capital, and the rise of alternatives in the form of caring economies, degrowth, and new currencies.
Technology: This includes inter-alia emerging technological disruptions, state and corporate control of data, artificial intelligence, privacy, bio-medical sciences, hacking, and election interference.
Governance: This includes inter-alia democracy, alternative forms of governance, the rise of authoritarian and ethno-nationalist populism, security, and a shifting global geopolitical landscape (implicating responses to crime, confinement, control).
Climate change: This includes inter-alia rising temperatures, extreme weather, food deserts, pollution, environmental racism, public health implications, water scarcity, and migration.
Selected contributors will be invited to develop their abstracts into discussion papers for publication. The discussion papers are meant to be provocative, punchy pieces rather than academic research papers. The discussion papers will respond to the following prompts:
It is the year 2040. How have one or more of these or other trends impacted the lives, material conditions, and prospects of racially subjugated communities (broadly defined to include intersectional identities) in South Africa and/or the US?
What is a 20-year vision for change? What conditions must be met in order for this vision to come true? What levers would transform these conditions? What steps are needed now to achieve these conditions?
Authors who are invited to develop their abstracts into longer discussion papers will be offered an honorarium of $1500 upon submission of a mutually agreed upon final document.
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION
Abstracts may be submitted electronically via the submission button below through September 8, 2020, at 12 midnight SAST/GMT+2.
Abstracts should not exceed 300 words and should be single spaced.
The abstract should be original work of the author.
Authors may not submit previously published work.
Authors may submit more than one abstract.
Authors need not come from South Africa or the United States, and can be based anywhere.
Authors of selected abstracts will be invited to develop them into 5-10 page discussion papers and/or other products to be considered for publication.
Please note that AFRE reserves the right to edit and adapt the papers as needed, particularly to fit formatting or space constraints. AFRE will coordinate with authors to make any suggested changes or edits.
Questions? Want to learn more? Feel free to contact us at AFREinfo@atlanticfellows.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can submit an abstract?
We are interested in hearing from a wide range of people, including scholars, activists, artists and practitioners as well as others who are concerned about racial equity. We are seeking thinking that opens new avenues of thought and action towards accelerating racial equity. There is no ‘set’ format, and submissions do not need to be academic papers.
Can I submit an abstract if I live and/or work outside of South Africa and the US?
Yes, we welcome abstracts from contributors that are based anywhere provided that you can draw out the implications of your analysis to South Africa or the US.
What is the timeline for publication and what does this process entail?
All submissions will be reviewed by the Editorial Board, consisting of AFRE staff and external experts. The anticipated timeline is provided below. Please note that this timeline may be adjusted due to Covid-19 and its impact on communities in South Africa and the United States.
8 September 2020: Closing date for the submission of abstracts.
30 October 2020: We will notify contributors who are selected to develop longer papers.
1 December 2020: Completed papers are due to AFRE from invited contributors.
1 February 2021: We will send contributors suggested revisions for their piece in preparation for publication.
April – June 2021: Anticipated release of publication.
Can I submit more than one abstract?
Yes, a contributor may submit more than one abstract.
Can I submit abstracts to multiple publications at the same time?
Yes, please let us know immediately if your abstract is accepted by another publication. If your abstract is accepted by another publication, we will withdraw your submission.
Can the abstract be co-authored with someone else?
Yes, an abstract can be co-authored.
When can I expect to receive the honorarium?
The honorarium will be paid at the point of publication.
If I am invited to develop a longer paper, will there be an opportunity to revise my paper after submission?
Contributors should expect to revise their papers before publication. We will send editorial feedback requesting revisions prior to final publication.
Where and when will the completed submissions be published?
The papers will be published in a new publication that AFRE is launching that will be produced at Columbia University.
Is it possible to request reviewer comments for my abstract?
Yes, it is possible to request reviewer comments for abstracts
Who do I contact with additional questions?
Please send any questions to afreinfo@atlanticfellows.org. We are glad to hear from you!