| Submitted to Program Units |
|---|
| 1: Afro-American Religious History Unit and Feminist Theory and Religious Reflection Unit |
The book is a social movement ethnography of the New Orleans-based Black feminist collective Women With A Vision (WWAV) focusing on their rebirth after an arson attack destroyed their headquarters in 2012. McTighe and WWAV's Deon Haywood weave together stories from their founders’ pioneering work during the Black HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s and their groundbreaking organizing to end criminalization in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with other movements for liberation around the globe. They share WWAV’s own world-building knowledges as well as their methods for living these Black feminist futures now. Our AAR panel will attempt to emulate a "front porch talk" and invite responses that address the themes of social organizing, Black feminist liberation, collaborative scholarship, ethnography, the context of the American South, or other facets relating to Fire Dreams. We imagine short responses (less than 10 minutes) from 5-6 scholars with time for discussion.
Abstract for Online Program Book (maximum 150 words)
Fire Dreams: Making Black Feminist Liberation in the South is a social movement ethnography of the New Orleans-based Black feminist collective Women With A Vision (WWAV) focusing on their rebirth after an arson attack destroyed their headquarters in 2012. Laura McTighe and WWAV's Deon Haywood weave together stories from their founders’ pioneering work during the Black HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s and their groundbreaking organizing to end criminalization in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with other movements for liberation around the globe. They share WWAV’s own world-building knowledges as well as their methods for living these Black feminist futures now. This roundtable will emulate a "front porch talk" and showcase responses that address the themes of social organizing, Black feminist liberation, collaborative scholarship, ethnography, the context of the American South, and other facets relating to Fire Dreams.