Art to Guide Deeper Understandings of Diasporic Heritage and Connections: A Case Study Neil Alexander Phillips, College of Design, AACC, NC State University Art is not passive! It is assertive, it is outspoken, it is active resistance and self-determination. This research presentation will examine the impact made by art spaces in regards to how they promote connection, comprehension, and compassion. It will look to reflect the different ways that art has been made to represent people, culture, and narratives while also evaluating the awareness they stir towards voices unheard and experiences underserved. Ultimately, this presentation will assert that art and its associated forms of expression are a tool for sending effective messages that words otherwise cannot execute.
CANCELED - Hacking the System: Insights into Middle School Social Dynamics Management Francesca Kyanda, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, NC State University Middle school is a turning point in an adolescent’s life. Much larger and less homogenous than an elementary school, it presents an interesting opportunity for adolescents to learn more about themselves and the world around them. Though it may just seem like locker combinations and the minutiae of interacting with fellow students and teachers, it represents a microcosm of social dynamics. As the leaders of their classrooms, teachers have the opportunity to shape their students’ social dynamics in positive ways; however, many teachers don’t have a foundational understanding of how their influence can affect their students.
I, Too, Am Free Robert Carl Swann, NC State University A photographic collection of works capturing the impoverished communities and those who have blossomed in spite of hardships, both systematic and at times self-inflicted. It will follow a number of black persons of color as they navigate the American South in the wake of urban renewal, consumerism and lack of resources.
From Tradition to Table: African Cuisine and Its Role in Modern Nutrition Oluwafunmilayo Olabode, Department of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Sciences - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, NC State University This digital poster delves into the rich culinary heritage of African food, exploring its evolution from traditional recipes to its growing influence on global diets. It highlights the nutritional value of key African ingredients such as millet, sorghum, yams, and leafy greens and how they align with modern health trends like plant-based eating and sustainable food practices. Through case studies and visuals, the presentation examines the impact of African cuisine on addressing health disparities, promoting cultural identity, and inspiring innovative approaches to nutrition. Attendees will gain insights into how traditional African foods can contribute to healthier, more inclusive global diets.
The Crown Exchange: Unpacking Cultural Identity and Collective Memory through A Black Beauty Swap Keira Moore, Wilson College of Textiles, NC State University This proposal explores cultural identity and collective memory through a “Black Beauty Swap” held at a predominantly white institution (PWI). These two theories will aid in unpacking how Black students at PWIs engage with and subvert dominant beauty standards while navigating spaces that often marginalize their identities. By contextually analyzing beauty as a site of resistance, the Crown Exchange will encourage community members to engage in storytelling on how aspects of Black upkeep is both personal and collective acts of empowerment—challenging hegemonic ideals and fostering solidarity. The Crown Exchange: A Black Beauty Swap will contribute to the creation of a new, inclusive cultural memory that reclaims and celebrates Blackness in academic environments.
I Am Because We Are: Afrofuturism and Afrofantasy in the Classroom Alicia Burnette Whitley, College of Education, NC State University It is no secret that the Western canon of HS ELA classrooms is overwhelmingly cis-gendered, heteronormative, and White. Many of the texts that we remember reading in high school (or, as high school teachers are asked to teach) reify Eurocentric ideals and positions - often to the detriment of high school students. This poster will review a content analysis of themes in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and the potential for its use as a basis for introducing critical media literacy to high school students.
PhD Student | Teacher Education and Learning Sciences, NCSU College of Education
Hello! I'm a PhD student in the College of Education. Most of my work focuses on preparing pre-service teachers to engage in culturally relevant pedagogy through the use of critical media literacy and multimodal texts.
Women in WaSH: Focus on Taking Action in Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) Dr. Angela Allen, CNR/FER/ Dir of Env Tech & Mgmt/Co-Dir Env Sci; Gislene Aparecida dos Santos, PhD, University of Sao Paulo; Tadeu Fabrício Malheiros, PhD, University of Sao Paulo; and Kate Burningham, PhD, University of Surrey The importance of understanding the natural passage in a young girl’s life from childhood to adulthood is becoming more prioritized in today’s society. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) allows us to explore information surrounding vital categories in areas such as proper education, accessibility, economic liberation, and policy changes in the area of menstruation hygiene management (MHM). Limited study, however, in the locations of North Carolina and Brazil demonstrates the need to investigate educational awareness and disseminate information properly. Organized online workshops aimed to bring knowledge from research and efforts that integrated students from high school to college from across countries.
Black in the Stacks: Afrofuturism and the Future of Libraries Brionna Johnson, Princeton University Library Libraries are often seen as spaces of books, quiet, and tradition—but what about the stories and people not always associated with them? What happens when we reimagine libraries through the lens of Afrofuturism? This session explores the history of Black librarianship, the variety of roles within the profession, and where Black folks belong in this evolving field. Together, we’ll reflect on the intersections of identity, representation, and the transformative potential of Black voices in library spaces. Let’s envision bold, inclusive possibilities for the stacks of tomorrow!
Storytelling from the Trenches to the Kitchen Table Kaitlan C. Farrior, CHASS, NC State University This digital poster explores how storytelling from familiar spaces—kitchen tables, urban alleys, rural porches—represents a vital form of Afrofuturistic scholarship. By drawing from community narratives and ancestral wisdom, it highlights the transformative power of "everyday research." Guided by Sankofa and Ubuntu principles, this presentation centers lived experiences as revolutionary praxis.
Biomimicry & Black American Fashion: Nature-Inspired Fashion for Human Health and Wellness Rue Tshamala, University of Georgia; Dr. Sha'Mira Covington, Assistant Professor in Fashion, The University of Georgia This research examines the intersection of biomimicry and Black American fashion, highlighting how environment-inspired designs can promote human health and wellness. Through multi-case studies and visual network analysis, the study maps connections between design elements, cultural narratives, and ecological contexts. It addresses the lack of representation of Indigenous and Black perspectives in mainstream sustainability discourse. By analyzing fashion in urban, suburban, and rural Black communities, this work demonstrates the importance of cultural and environmental integration in creating sustainable, health-promoting fashion, contributing to a more inclusive and holistic approach to sustainability and health equity.
Reimaging African American agriculture through Afro-Futurism Alejandro Ibrahim, Department of History, NC State University Traditionally African Americans have been practitioners of agriculture. Despite this African Americans make up less than 2% of farmers in the United States. African Americans also have the highest rate of food insecurity. In the 21st century agriculture among African Americans must have an afrofuturist touch to be successful. This can ensure sustainable food systems. Examples of this can be through adopting farming methods such as agroecology and supporting urban agriculture. This presentation seeks to connect history to the present struggle of black food justice.
Wellness X Tech X Art Alina V. Roach, NC State College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Envision you are a student in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, or Mathematics (STEAM)—juggling high expectations while silently struggling with stress and burnout. For many, this is reality. This research creatively connects to Sankofa, addressing past challenges with an afrofuturistic vision. It uses stress response hierarchies and community interviews, embodying Ubuntu and Harambee by engaging diverse communities. Through interactive breathing techniques and findings, the presentation highlights futuristic applications, strategic initiatives across colleges, and a career wellness book. This work integrates wellness with technical research, honoring the mind, body, and spirit, and emphasizes "Rest as Revolution" for sustainable wellness in STEAM.
Student, NCSU | College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Kaitlan C. Farrior is an independent author and literary voice from North Carolina whose work navigates the complexities of identity, resilience, and human connection. Her writing is deeply informed by her admiration for cultural and literary movements like the Harlem Renaissance... Read More →
Hello!My name is Brionna Johnson.My interests are cataloging e-resources (original and copy cataloging), reparative descriptions, and information literacy! I earned my MLS from NCCU in 2023. I have experience in both academic and public library settings. I am a new cataloger and early... Read More →
An Island for an Exiled is a multimedia installation exploring cultural estrangement and sacred exile through Afrofuturistic aesthetics. Combining stop-motion animation, photography, live performance, and immersive environmental elements, the work interrogates identity, memory, and speculative futures.
Lecturer/Department of Media Studies, UNC Greensboro
Through an investigative and iterative practice, I’ve developed a methodology that merges photography, reprinting, and rephotographing, transforming images into performative and static forms, immersive multimedia spaces, and multisensory experiences. My work bridges the iconographies... Read More →
The Cyher at The Symposium on Afrofuturism and Diasporic Scholarship features poets, storytellers, dancers, movement workers, artists and more to share the history of diasporic storytelling.
The Storytelling CypherRooted in the tradition of the cypher in hip-hop—where artists gather in a circle to share, build, and riff off each other—this Storytelling Cypher is a dynamic space where narratives flow, voices rise, and stories take shape in a shared rhythm.
Storytelling has always been central to Black traditions, from the griots of West Africa to the oral histories passed down in kitchens, on porches, and in barbershops. It’s in the way we remix the past with the present. We even see this is the art of sampling, how we turn memory into rhythm, struggle into poetry, and everyday life into legend. This cypher brings together storytellers of all forms—spoken word artists, poets, musicians, scholars, dancers, keepers of ancestral wisdom to share, respond, and build a collective narrative.
With this year’s theme, "Storytelling from the Familiar," we honor the ways Black communities have used storytelling as a tool for resistance, remembrance, and research. Whether through verse, song, movement, testimony, or improvisation, this is a space to listen, bear witness, and contribute to the living archive of our experiences.
Come ready to share or simply absorb the energy. In this circle, every voice matters, every rhythm connects, and every story adds to the collective heartbeat of our community.
