This event serves to invite students, faculty, and guests interested in Black Studies and/or Archaeology to understand the intersection between the two subjects. Archaeology has historically been an Eurocentric field of study that centered on Western and colonial epistemologies. However, in recent decades, scholars have begun adopting epistemologies from other disciplines–like Black Studies–to decolonize the field of Archaeology and leverage historically marginalized voices. This event serves to give guests an introduction to Black Archaeology. No background experience or knowledge of Black Studies or Archaeology is necessary; everyone from all backgrounds is encouraged to learn and attend.
In a panel format discussion, Dr. Sarah Derbew from Stanford University, Dr. Justin Dunnavant from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Ph.D. Candidate Boluwaji AJAYI from the University of California, Santa Cruz, will discuss the overarching topic of Blackness in Archaeology. Themes will include but will not be limited to: the Archaeology of the Black diaspora and African Archaeology, the importance of Black Studies in Archaeology and other related disciplines (e.g. Classics and Anthropology), and the increasing demographic of Black archaeologists.
The event will be held in the Stanford Archaeology Center (Building 500 Room 106) on Friday, May 17, 2024 from 2PM-3PM. Free boba and beignets will be available to guests until supplies last.
Speakers
Sarah Derbew
I am a writer, teacher, and advocate for ancient African Studies. In my work, I explore literary representations of black people in ancient Greece across genres such as ancient Greek tragedy, historiography, satire, and the novel. I also examine artistic renderings of black people in Greek antiquity—considering the objects themselves and the museums in which they live. My interests extend all the way to the twenty-first century; I’ve written about the reception of Greco-Roman antiquity in Africa and the African diaspora. I earned my PhD in Classics from Yale University and was a Junior Fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows. Now, I am an Assistant Professor of Classics at Stanford University, affiliated with the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity and the Center for African Studies. I recently finished my first book, currently titled Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity (2022, Cambridge University Press). In the book, I trace the role of black people in ancient Greek literature and art while critiquing contemporary prejudicial thinking about Greek antiquity. I am currently co-editing the forthcoming volume Classics and Race: A Historical Reader with Dr. Daniel Orrells and Dr. Phiroze Vasunia.
Justin Dunnavant
Dr. Justin Dunnavant is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at UCLA. His current research in the US Virgin Islands investigates the relationship between ecology and enslavement in the former Danish West Indies. In addition to his archaeological research, Justin is aco-founder of the Society of Black Archaeologists and an AAUS Scientific SCUBA Diver. In 2021, he was named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and inducted into The Explorers Club as one of “Fifty People Changing the World that You Need to Know About.” In 2022, he was named the Stafford Ellison Wright Black Alumni Scholar-in-Residence at Occidental College. His research has been featured on Netflix's "Explained," Hulu's "Your Attention Please" and in print in American Archaeology, Science Magazine , and National Geographic Magazine.
Boluwaji AJAYI
Boluwaji AJAYI (Bolu) is a Nigerian archaeologist and graduate student in the Department of Anthropology, UCSC. Bolu's research interest primarily focuses on the nature of social complexities that engendered everyday life of settlements on the margins of early cities and empires in the Yoruba-Edo region of Southwestern Nigeria ca. 18th -20 century. His research adopts the theory of practices coupled with agency and feminist perspectives to address questions about how quotidian life was structured and the active role of women within these local and regional spaces. Bolu is an experienced archaeologist in field and laboratory techniques; he is a mentor to several Young African archaeologists and a member of several archaeological associations. On days when he is not in the lab or classroom, he volunteers in a local pantry in Santa Cruz and goes hiking while listening to solemn R&B instrumentals.
Building 500, Room 106