ASALH Brings Annual Conference to Atlanta Amid Attacks on Black History Education

TDr. Stephanie Y. Evanshe Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) will convene its annual conference in Atlanta from September 24-28, 2025, bringing together Black leaders, academics, educators, and community members during what organizers describe as a "critical hour" for Black history and education.


The conference, themed "African Americans and Labor," comes as educational institutions nationwide face mounting pressure over diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and as several states have enacted legislation restricting how race and racism can be discussed in classrooms.

The conference will feature several prominent voices in African American studies and social justice, including Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Dr. Edda Fields-Black and scholar-activist Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. Labor organizer Chris Smalls, who led the successful effort to form the first independent union at an Amazon warehouse in the United States through the Amazon Labor Union, will headline the Friday John Blassingame Luncheon.

Other featured speakers include historians Drs. Peniel Joseph, Maurice Hobson, Stephanie Evans, and Joe Trotter Jr., along with civil rights leaders Ambassador Andrew and Andrea Young and Rev. Jamal Bryant.

A key component of the conference programming will address current challenges facing educators and institutions seeking to teach Black history. Specialized sessions will provide guidance to librarians, teachers, and community organizers on establishing Freedom Schools and teaching Black history "in the current challenged national environment."

Dr. Peniel JosephThe Wednesday plenary session, "The Fire Now!," will specifically examine how budgets and policies are "Undermining Preservation of the African American Experience," featuring experts from the National Parks Conservation Association, Trust for Public Land, and the U.S. Department of the Interior.

"Our goal is to make as many of the activities free and accessible to the public as possible," organizers announced, with Wednesday sessions, plenaries, film festival screenings, poster sessions, and vendor exhibits offered at no charge.

Thursday's plenary, "Towards a Theory of Liberation: The State of Black Radicalism Today," will feature scholars Drs. Charisse Burden-Stelly, Gerald Horne, Akinyele Umoja, Joy James, and Ashley Howard examining contemporary Black liberation movements.