KINGSTON, R.I. – Oct. 22, 2025 – A new book on the famed African American abolitionist / writer Harriet Jacobs and the weaponization of Black feminism in academia are just two of the topics on the roster at the University of Rhode Island’s sixth annual Roundtable for Black Feminist and Womanist Theory.

The three-day conference, led by the URI Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, will be held Thursday, Nov. 6, through Saturday, Nov. 8 at the URI Gender and Sexuality Center, 19 Upper College Road on the Kingston Campus. Along with hosting two keynote speakers, the hybrid event will have both in-person and online breakout sessions. The event is free and open to the public.

The annual roundtable is a venue for scholars, activists, and artists across disciplines and professional trajectories to share work highlighting intellectual contributions throughout the African diaspora. The conference’s goal is to create a working space for participants of various backgrounds to receive feedback on their projects that will enrich Black feminist and womanist traditions. The roundtable is also funded, in part, via a Mellon Foundation Higher Learning program grant.

“It’s an inclusive conference, focusing on any aspect of Black feminism and womanist theories, which is really attractive and powerful,” said Kathleen M. McIntyre, associate professor and chair of URI’s Department of Gender and Women’s Studies. 

The roundtable event will also invite students enrolled in URI’s Black feminisms and feminist theories and methodologies courses—led by URI Eleanor M. Carlson Visiting Assistant Professor and Roundtable Founder K. Bailey Thomas—to meet well-known scholars from across the country.

“The conference is interdisciplinary. It’s not specifically for philosophers or Americanists—we will have a global representation at this event,” Thomas said. “There will also be some informal networking and I’ve previously seen a big flourishing network come out of that.”

Vassar College Assistant Professor of Africana Studies Jasmine Syedullah’s keynote speech, titled “Truants Congregate in Loopholes: Methods for Surviving the Carceral Futures of Ms. Harriet Jacobs’s Freedom,” will take place Thursday, Nov. 6 from 4:30-6 p.m. Syedullah will talk about her upcoming book on Jacobs’ decision to remain a fugitive after being freed from slavery, actively integrating the ability to appear and disappear.

On Saturday, Nov. 8 from 3:30-5 p.m., Olivia Perlow, a professor of sociology at Northeastern Illinois University, will deliver a keynote address titled “Too Much Theory, Too Little Praxis: Unshackling Black Feminism from the Academy.” Perlow’s talk will reflect on how despite a significant push for diversity, equity and inclusion on campuses, much of that has been lip service from Perlow’s perspective. That, Thomas says, can affect how Black feminists teach and interact with students regularly.

“Olivia will discuss how Black feminists who try to be radical can still end up being siloed by university structures,” Thomas said. “She will share stories about how many Black feminist and womanist scholars are dealing with accusations that their work is not scholarly or researched, and how different politics impact the work you’re doing.”

Breakfast and lunch will be served each day during the conference. Registration is required to attend and can be done through the roundtable’s event website. Those wishing to attend in person must register by Monday, Nov. 3. Virtual registration, which is needed to receive Zoom links for the event, runs through Wednesday, Nov. 5.

The annual Roundtable for Black Feminist and Womanist Theory is hosted by the URI Department of Gender and Women’s Studies. Full event information is found on the roundtable’s website. Those seeking additional information may contact URI Eleanor M. Carlson Visiting Assistant Professor and Roundtable Founder K. Bailey Thomas at bailey.thomas@uri.edu.