TO: News editors, directors

WHAT: The University of Southern Mississippi, in collaboration with the Mississippi Humanities Council, will host the conference “Charting New Courses in the History of Slavery and Emancipation.”

WHERE: Advanced Education Center, Southern Miss Gulf Park campus in Long Beach

WHEN: March 4-5 (see full schedule of presentations below)

SPECIFICS: The sessions feature more than 30 panelists from universities across the nation. The conference is open to the public and there is no charge to attend the open sessions and keynote addresses. This event was made possible through funds provided by a Mississippi Humanities Council grant.

March 4:

- 8:45 – 10:30 a.m. 
 Session 1 “Passages: Violence, Sex, and the Slave Trade”
Session 2 “Currents: Circulating Identities and Ideas in the Atlantic World”
- 12:15 – 1:45 p.m. 
 Session 1 “Empires: Slavery and Colonial Struggles” 
 Session 2 “Silences: New England Slavery in History and Memory”
- 2 – 3:30 p.m.
“Images: Representations of Slavery and Freedom”
- 4 – 5 p.m.
Keynote Address: Ira Berlin of the University of Maryland

March 5:

- 8:45 – 10:30 a.m. 
 Session 1 “Emancipators and Enslavers: The Crosscurrents of Slavery
and Freedom”
 Session 2 “Communities: Forging and Breaking Bonds in the Diaspora”
- 12:15 – 1:45 p.m. 
 “Costs: The Economics of Slavery and Freedom”
- 2 – 3:30 p.m.
 “Shadows: The Underside of Slavery and Freedom”
- 4 – 5 p.m.
 Keynote Address: Mark Smith of the University of South Carolina

CONTACT: Southern Miss Gulf Coast University Communications at 228.865.4573.

About The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910, is a comprehensive doctoral and research-extensive university fulfilling its mission of being a leading university in engaging and empowering individuals to transform lives and communities. In a tradition of leadership for student development, Southern Miss is educating a 21st century work force providing intellectual capital, cultural enrichment and innovation to Mississippi and the world. Southern Miss is located in Hattiesburg, Miss., with an additional campus and teaching and research sites on the Mississippi Gulf Coast; further information is found at www.usm.edu/gulfcoast .