RaceB4Race symposia
Annual gatherings of scholars and thinkers of premodern critical race studies.
The new academic conference model
The annual RaceB4Race symposium invites scholars of premodern critical race studies from around the world to discuss and present research on a shared topic. Unlike traditional academic conferences, RaceB4Race is structured to provide equal time for presentations, group discussion, and community building. Established in 2019, RaceB4Race is the leading incubator of research and community in premodern studies.
Generally held at the end of January every year, RaceB4Race is a free and open to the public.
Love: A RaceB4Race Symposium
January 23-24, 2026 | Tempe, Arizona and livestreamed
This symposium explores the concept of love in the broadest sense. How does race inform the way we conceive of love? How does it influence our capacity to love? What does it mean to love in a time of turmoil, and what can the premodern world teach us about this? How do we negotiate loving a being, a nation, a profession that fails to love us back? In a time where hateful rhetoric floods our media and culture, how do we imagine, build, and sustain communities of love?
Past symposia
Check out the archive of past RaceB4Race symposia. Programs are available for download for all symposia, and many of the more recent events are recorded and available to watch on our YouTube channel.
Distinguished speakers
The ACMRS annual Distinguished Speaker Series is the keynote event of RaceB4Race. This event invites the larger public to join the RaceB4Race community for an evening with prominant artists, performers, writers and public figures whose work has been influenced by premodern art and culture.