[Kaupunkitutkimus] Seminar: Black feminism, belonging and resistance at Helsinki University, also streaming!

[Elina Sutela]

I'm sharing the invitation to this seminar at the University of Helsinki. Note that the seminar will also be streamed! Welcome!


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Warmly welcome to this seminar!

Black feminism, belonging and resistance -seminar 24.10.2024
Time: 13:15-15:45
Venue: Auditorium 116, Unioninkatu 35, University of Helsinki, Helsinki
How do African diaspora communities negotiate notions of self, belonging and agency in Nordic societies? What kinds of imaginations and world-making processes do especially Black feminists engage in and what is the role of digital feminist media sites for this kind of re-imagining? How can art and participatory research provide spaces for transformative politics, (self-) care practices and community involvement? Building on Black feminist theorising of Black joy and abolitionist perspectives, three lectures and a discussion session will investigate the new contours of belonging and resistance in the contemporary racial landscapes of Finland and Sweden.
Please register for the event latest 23.10.2024 at:  https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/131866/lomake.html

Schedule:
13:15-13:20 Welcoming words
13:20-14:05 Nana Osei-Kofi: AfroSwedish Places of Belonging
14:05-14:35 Priscilla Osei: The lived experiences of Sub-Saharan African Mothers in Finland
14:35-14:45 Break
14:45-15:15 Nia Sullivan: Redefining Digital Spaces: Black Feminist Joy, Care, and World-making
15:15-15:45 Discussion and questions

Speakers and abstracts of lectures
Nana Osei-Kofi: AfroSwedish Places of Belonging
In this presentation, Dr. Osei-Kofi discusses her new book, AfroSwedish Places of Belonging (Northwestern University Press, 2024). Rooted in cultural studies and critical Black feminist thought, this text contends with AfroSwedishness, as a racialized ethnic and community-based identity, especially in relation to imaginations of self, and notions of belonging, agency, and kinship. Placing emphasis on the liberatory public potential of diverse forms of cultural expression, Osei-Kofi surveys biographical narratives, documentary films, digital Black feminist media, and queer organizing, offering key insights into the embodied, affective, and experiential processes with which, what she describes as the formation of an emergent, coalitional identity, is made possible.
Nana Osei-Kofi, who was born and raised in Gothenburg, Sweden, is Professor Emerita of Women, Gender, & Sexuality at Oregon State University, US. Her areas of scholarly focus include critical and feminist pedagogies, the politics of American higher education, and Black European Studies.

Priscilla Osei: The lived experiences of Sub-Saharan African Mothers in Finland
In my lecture, I will present two articles that have yet to be published from my thesis, focusing on Black motherhood in Finland and its intersection with social work. The first article, "Where are Black Mothers in Finnish Social Work Research? A Scoping Review," addresses the lack of representation of Black mothers in Finnish social work literature. The second article, "Reframing African Motherhood in Helsinki, Finland: Embracing Black Joy through Abolitionist Perspectives in Social Work," examines African motherhood in Helsinki and emphasizes the importance of Black joy and abolitionist approaches. I will discuss both articles' findings, theoretical frameworks, and critical insights, offering a fresh perspective on Black motherhood in Finnish social work.
Priscilla Osei is a doctoral student at the University of Helsinki. She specializes in research that leverages innovative art-based methodologies to encourage active participation and community involvement within the Finnish black diaspora. Her specific focus lies in exploring themes related to motherhood, parenting, photography, social work, and family services, aiming to bring about positive societal impact through her work.

Nia Sullivan: Redefining Digital Spaces: Black Feminist Joy, Care, and World-making
In digital spaces, African Diaspora communities illuminate Black feminist joy as inherent and a form of resistance - expressing pleasure while engaging in speculative feminist world-making. Drawing on the teachings of Dr. Catherine Knight Steele, my talk explores the praxis of Digital Black Feminism and its impact on peer support and care within online communities. It examines the implications of integrating Black feminist practices into various facets of digital engagement. By centering these narratives, this discussion seeks to deepen our understanding of how Black feminist joy can reshape and enrich digital landscapes, creating transformative possibilities for care practices and Black feminist discourse on and offline.
Nia Sullivan is a doctoral student in Gender Studies at Åbo Akademi University and a researcher with the MadEnCounters Project, funded by the Kone Foundation and conducted at the Centre for Research on Ethnic Relations and Nationalism (CEREN) at the University of Helsinki. Nia's research focuses on the intersection of power, affect, and embodied practices in shaping the subjectivity and materiality of racialized young adults. Nia is interested in how identity and lived experiences are formed through these dynamics, exploring themes related to race, subject formation, and the politics and practices of embodiment.

The event will also be streamed online. For more information, please register through the link above.

The event is organized by The Centre for Research on Ethnic Relations and Nationalism (CEREN), Swedish School of Social Science, University of Helsinki
https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/ethnic-relations-and-nationalism
https://www.facebook.com/ceren.helsinki/
https://www.instagram.com/ceren_helsinki/

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Ystävällisin terveisin

Elina Sutela
Yliopisto-opettaja ja väitöskirjatutkija, VTM
Sosiaalipolitiikka, Sosiaalitieteiden laitos
Turun yliopisto

e. elisut at utu.fi<mailto:elisut at utu.fi>
p. +35850 341 4630