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This year the Association of Black Anthropologists section news column for Anthropology News aims to publish pieces focusing on the theme of “Revelations.” We envision this column as a space for revealing oft-hidden aspects of the craft of anthropology that might otherwise remain shrouded. We invite contributors to the column to pull back the curtain and share snapshots of the anthropologist at work. It is our hope that these acts of disclosure will be both instructive (offering insight and tips to junior and peer scholars) and radical (opening up a space to expose the processes behind producing anthropological texts and to grapple with the complexities of our work).
We’d also like to introduce ourselves. Amelia Simone Herbert is a PhD candidate in anthropology and education at Columbia University, Teachers College. Her research focuses on youth and the politics of aspiration in the context of unequal schooling landscapes. She is currently conducting fieldwork in Cape Town, South Africa. Michelle Munyikwa is an MD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. She recently earned her PhD in cultural anthropology; her dissertation, “‘Up from the Dirt’: Racializing Refuge, Rupture, and Repair in Philadelphia,” explores how processes of racialization affect forced migration to Philadelphia. We are both excited to share some incredible pieces with you this year, and we invite submissions from all members of the Association for Black Anthropologists.
Submission categories
Drawing upon our theme of “Revelations,” our contributions this year will fall into three categories. The first, Black Anthropologists Engage, is a forum for scholars to draw upon their work to comment on topics that may be interesting to broader audiences in anthropology or the public. In particular, we’d like to highlight anthropological approaches to contemporary issues both domestic or international.
The second category for submissions is Dispatches from the Field. This category will consist of reflections from anthropologists currently conducting fieldwork, including both dissertating students and more senior scholars with perspectives on research processes across the four fields. We also invite scholars to challenge the very notion of “the field” and how we construct it. What is that one moment from fieldwork that keeps you up at night? What method did you experiment with and to what ends? How did you define your “site” and how did this evolve over time? We are eager to hear about this and more.
Finally, our last series seeks to highlight recent scholarship in anthropology through an Interview Series with authors of recently published books. This series hopes to reveal not only the final products of scholarly research, but also the processes by which such products are made.
We look forward to experimenting with novel and interesting articles this year and welcome any and all submissions which you hope to share!
Warmly,
Michelle and Amelia
Amelia Simone Herbert ([email protected]) and Michelle Munyikwa ([email protected]) are contributing editors for the ABA section news column. If you are a member of the Association for Black Anthropologists and would like to contribute a column you can submit a pitch or piece to our email addresses for review.
Cite as: Herbert, Amelia Simone, and Michelle Munyikwa. 2019. “Revelations for ABA Section News.” Anthropology News website, October 18, 2019. DOI: 10.1111/AN.1290