Program Description

We will examine the different ways in which the notions of imperialism and colonization can be understood broadly as well as in specific geographical contexts. Focusing on the historical experiences of people of color in Africa, Middle East and the Americas, we will explore the ways in which imperialism and colonization served as tools for conquest and domination as well as subjugation and exploitation. We will examine the context in which these tools were, and continue to be, employed, and the resistance of different kinds with which they have to contend.

Our purpose is to both make distinction and identify similarities between the imperialist practices of the past and those that are at work now. Exploring the role of image, representation, and knowledge – incentives for their production, and the prospects for their distribution – will be significant elements of the program. Quite often the critique of orientalism will guide us.