Annual Conference
IBL 2025 Annual Conference 鈥� Black Joy
Date, Time and Location
Feb 6, 2025: 11:00 a.m. 鈥� 5:00 p.m.
(Post Event Reception beginning at 5:00 p.m.)
Location:
51在线 - Tampa campus
Marshall Student Center
Third Floor - Room 3707 and 3705
Tampa, FL 33620
Registration
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged.
IMPORTANT: Registration is required if you plan to join us for lunch.
Director's Welcome
David Ponton, III
Director, Institute on Black Life鈥�
Chair of the Racial Justice Initiative
2025 Conference Abstract
The USF Institute on Black Life (IBL) is happy to announce a call for participation
in the 2025 IBL Annual Conference on the theme of 鈥淏lack Joy鈥�.鈥� We encourage participation
from undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, staff, faculty, and members of the
broader Tampa Bay community and beyond.
Black Joy is a powerful lens through which we can understand the full breadth of Black
life, identity, and resilience, offering a nuanced view that encompasses both individual
and communal experiences of joy.鈥疶his conference seeks to explore and celebrate the
dynamic ways Black individuals and communities cultivate joy in the face of personal
and systemic challenges. We invite scholars, artists, activists, and practitioners
to engage in thoughtful discussions on how joy functions as an act of resistance,
a cultural practice, and a source of personal and collective healing. We seek to highlight
how expressions of Black joy sustain and nourish our communities, breathing life into
Black futures and inspiring strength, creativity, and connection both within and beyond
our communities.
The conference will offer a variety of ways to engage with the theme of Black Joy,
including student speakers, a faculty book showcase, and a student short-form documentary
exhibition.
We welcome proposals for individual papers, panels, workshops, and creative presentations from all disciplines that explore Black Joy in its many forms. Submissions can explore topics such as Black Joy in literature, art, music, STEM, performance, athletics, and beyond; the intersections of joy with gender, sexuality, and class; joy as a political act in social movements; and role of joy in Black mental health and wellness. We encourage contributions that draw on empirical research, theory, and creative expression to expand our understanding of Black Joy as an individual and collective experience. This conference will bring us together as a USF and Tampa Bay community to celebrate and explore the rich, complex, and joyful dimensions of Black life.
AGENDA
| Date | Time | Session |
|---|---|---|
| February 6, 2025 | 11:00 a.m. 鈥� 1:00 p.m. | Morning Session |
| 1:00 鈥� 2:15 p.m. | Lunch Break | |
| 2:15 鈥� 5:00 p.m. | Afternoon Session | |
| 5:00 -6:00 p.m. | Reception |
PARKING
Guest parking is available in Lots 3A, 3B, and 3C with additional parking in Crescent Hill Parking Garage (CHG). Please look for signs to indicate 2025 INSTITUTE ON BLACK LIFE CONFERENCE.
For more information about guest parking options, please visit Parking Services.
USF Campus Map (PDF)
Directions
From I-275
- Take exit 52, Fletcher Ave/CR-582A and head East for 2.5 miles.
- Turn right at USF Palm Dr.
- Turn left at USF Holly Dr.
- Follow N Palm Dr/USF Palm Dr around the corner to find Parking Lots 3A, 3B, and 3C.
- Additional parking: Crescent Hill Parking Garage (CHG) at 4119 USF Cedar Drive, Tampa, FL 33620
From I-75
- Take exit 266, Fletcher Ave and head West on Fletcher for 4.0 miles.
- Turn left at N Palm Dr/USF Palm Dr.
- Follow N Palm Dr/USF Palm Dr around the corner to find Parking Lots 3A, 3B, and 3C.
- Additional parking: Crescent Hill Parking Garage (CHG) at 4119 USF Cedar Drive, Tampa, FL 33620
For reasonable accommodations or other questions, please contact CAS RSVP.