The Art & Architectural History Department and the new Center for the Study of Slavery at the College of Charleston announce a symposium dedicated to the historic and ongoing relationships between slavery and architecture. We seek papers that critically explore places and times in which slavery was a legal institution, as well as papers that analyze the long-enduring memories and legacies of slavery in architecture, urbanism, and landscapes. Charleston is one of the most important sites of such history in the United States and offers an ideal setting for a confrontation with the ways that the systems and values of slavery are woven into the fabric of a place. The city was built upon the slave trade, launched the American Civil War, seethed during Reconstruction, and endured decades of segregation and oppression, both in its historic center and in its modern suburbs. We acknowledge, however, the global nature of slavery and welcome relevant submissions pertaining to any corner of the planet.

Please email a 300-word abstract and a two-page CV, with the phrase Ruins and Reconstructions written in the subject line, to Nathaniel Walker ([email protected]) and Barry Stiefel ([email protected]) by April 1, 2019. Send any inquiries to the same addresses.