Developments during the early twenty-first century prove her words apply to how we preserve knowledge of our past. Debates on school curricula and the function and impact of difference in societies over time, have unfolded in the academy and beyond. Technological advancements like ChatGPT and social media have shaped these conversations in unanticipated ways and give the impression of an increasing number of individuals “talking at once” and, often, in discordant tones.

Where in this altered terrain of historical discourse does the scholar of Black histories belong? The theme for the 2026 AAIHS conference opens an opportunity to consider this question collectively. Together, we hope to address a range of questions such as: How might contemporary difficulties facing us today parallel or diverge from earlier efforts to keep account of Black histories? How does geographic location and the positionalities of both scholar and subject further affect this work? How different, if at all, are the stakes in preserving histories and legacies in the current century? Through the theme, “Preserving Histories and Legacies in the 21st Century,” AAIHS encourages conference participants to reflect on how we have historicized African and African-descended peoples from slavery to the present and how we might do so still. We hope this invitation prompts scholars, activists, artists, curators, archivists, and other intellectuals to interrogate notions of change; continuity; and progress–all key elements of historical inquiry. As always, we are eager to engage these questions through multiple research fields, methods, and methodologies.

About Our Conference Theme

In a 1992 article entitled “What Has Happened Here,” historian Elsa Barkley Brown defines history, in part, as “everybody talking at once, multiple rhythms being played simultaneously.”