Abolition, we believe, offers the occasion for thinking about the university in ways that the institution itself might otherwise render impossible. And in doing so it may provide an opportunity to trouble the institution as we know and inhabit it—and as it inhabits us. Inspired by radical scholars and organizers in and outside of universities, we embrace abolition as a generative rather than merely negative project. We aim to build relations that steal the sheen from the university’s romanticized history and to repurpose its resources, capacities, and function of reproducing sociality with and for other ways of being, other ways of living. In coming together, we take up the question, What would an abolitionist approach to the university say yes to?

**Please join co-conveners, Abigail Boggs, Eli Meyerhoff, Nick Mitchell, Wahneema Lubiano, and Zach Schwartz-Weinstein, at the Franklin Humanities Institute for "Whose Crisis? Whose University? Abolitionist Study in and beyond Global Higher Education," a conference in Durham, NC on Oct. 11-12.**

For an extended discussion of what we imagine is at stake in this encounter, please see here: https://abolition.university/invitation/

Towards this end, we invite you to gather with us at Duke University on the afternoons of October 11th and 12th for a public conference organized around the theme of abolitionist university studies. Over the course of these two afternoons, scholars from across the continent will consider new modes for thinking the university through an abolitionist frame. We will discuss broad questions regarding the historical and geographic borders and boundaries for work on the university. Speakers will open up and break down key concepts including abolitionism, internationalization, labor, and accumulation. And we will ask what it means to bring abolitionism to the university and how we might take up this work in our engagement in and work on these institutions.

To allow the conference planners time to plan for accessibility needs, please be sure to RSVP by September 19th. We will follow up shortly thereafter to survey people’s requests.

Events are free and open to the public. RSVP is preferred but not required, however, since we are working to allocate funds and gauge space-needs based on the response here, we do ask that you only RSVP if you are planning to attend. Information from and about the event, including any updates on video documentation, will be made available via the event facebook page and the https://abolition.university website. Seating is available on a first-come, first-seated basis.

Location: Richard White Lecture Hall 1308 Campus Dr, Durham, NC 27705.

Parking will be available (for free) at Epworth Dorm Lane, Durham, NC 27705. (Tell the attendant you are there for this conference). It should be just a 3-4 minute walk between the parking lot and the lecture hall.

Sponsors:

John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute at Duke University; Wesleyan University

Co-sponsors at Duke:

Social Movements Lab; Kenan Institute for Ethics, African & African American Studies; International Comparative Studies; Literature; Gender, Sexuality, & Feminist Studies; Religious Studies; Cultural Anthropology; Education; Philosophy; English; Art, Art History, and Visual Studies; From Slavery to Freedom Lab; Forum for Scholars and Publics; Center for Arts, Digital Culture & Entrepreneurship; Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in the Social Sciences