UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Classicists and ancient Mediterranean scholars will join researchers specializing in African American literature, sociology, philosophy, rhetoric and other areas for a three-day conference that will explore American sociologist, historian, civil-rights activist and author W.E.B. Du Bois’s engagement with the art, literature, and history of the ancient world.
Titled “W.E.B. Du Bois and the Ancient Mediterranean,” the virtual conference will take place March 19-21, and also will reflect on the ongoing shift in the classics discipline, which has been focusing increasingly on the reception of ancient materials among Black, Indigenous, and other people of color.
Organized by Mathias Hanses, Penn State assistant professor of classics and ancient Mediterranean studies, and Jackie Murray, associate professor of classics at the University of Kentucky, co-sponsors of the conference include Penn State’s Humanities Institute, College of the Liberal Arts, departments of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies and Philosophy, Jewish Studies program and the Chaiken Family Chair in Jewish Studies.
Virtual sessions are open to anyone who wishes to attend. Those interested in joining any or all program sessions must register in advance; for more information on sessions and presentations, visit the Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies website.