Call for Papers/Panels

Houston’s 1961 rebrand as ‘Space City, USA’ owes much to Rice University's historic research collaborations with NASA from the early months of the agency’s founding. Because of this partnership, ‘Houston’ will forever be the first human utterance broadcasted from the surface of the moon. Since then, ever-more ‘giant steps’ in Houston-based STEM research have impacted our continued existence on Earth, inviting renewed attention to several questions concerning the relationship between STEM and the Arts in Black Houston(s): Precisely what forms of social life have Black communities negotiated and redefined, created and maintained in the economic, environmental, and technological contexts of our new millennium? How do residents establish their sense of place in the city, and in what ways might Black Houstonian cultural productions continue to influence research innovations in ‘H-Town’s’ burgeoning healthcare and tech industries?

Rice University and the Black Houston(s) Planning Committee welcome submissions for the 2025 symposium. We insist that Houston provides an ideal landscape to reflect on the rich contributions of shifting and dynamic forms of activism, artistic expression and ethical reflection as key to a fuller picture of STEM’s relation to the Arts and the shared legacies of each field with/in and across the Black/Afro-Diasporic Southern United States. To that end, Dark Matter: STEM & The Arts in Black Houston(s) will bring together researchers, artists, policy influencers and community members from around the country to Houston. Symposium contributors will explore the ways in which the STEM/Arts relation has impacted Houston’s history and culture as well as examine the emerging and ongoing issues Afro-Diasporic Houstonians face in the 21st century. Through this symposium, we aim to: (1) produce new knowledges related to Black Houston(s), and publish this information in an edited volume; and, (2) provide a platform for scholarly and community engagement and collaboration.

The committee welcomes individual paper submissions and panel proposals from multiple areas of engagement that include (but are not limited to):

Scholars in all stages of their careers, including undergraduate and graduate students, and/or from various disciplines such as African American Studies, American Studies, Architecture, Art History, Cultural Studies, Film Studies, History, Medicine, Music History, Psychology, Religious Studies, etc.
Representatives from Non-profit organizations
Community artists, intellectuals, journalists, scholars, activists and community organizers

While we are open to a range of topics, we are particularly interested in papers and panels that explore a wide range of issues that include but are not limited to:

Medical Humanities and Public Health Policies (e.g., Black Births, Abortion Rights, HIV Awareness) in Black/Afro-Diasporic Houston
Science and Black Cultural Production—Architecture, Art, Dance, Food Culture, Music, Oral Tradition, Writing, Religion, Film, Photography—in Afro-Diasporic Houston
Methodological Innovation in Afro-Diasporic Houston—ethnographic, participatory, activist, experimental and response-able forms of research.
Racial Histories and Philosophies of Modern Disciplines (e.g., the Sciences, the Social Sciences, and the Humanities)
Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Approaches to STEAM-Based Education in Black/Afro-Diasporic Houston
Cosmology, Astronomy and Racial Discourse in “Space City, USA”
Sustainable and Systemic Changes in terms of Architecture (How has history been able to spark urban and sustainable development)
Medical Humanities and Public Health (i.e., Abortion Rights, Black Birthing, BioMedical Innovations) in Black/Afro-Diasporic Houston
Digital Humanities (e.g., Artificial Intelligence and the Arts, Predictive Algorithms and Policing) in Black/Afro-Diasporic Houston
Oil, Gas and the Environment in Black Houston(s), the “Energy Capital of the World”

The symposium will take place March 27-28, 2025 at the African American History Research Center, Gregory Campus (HPL - AAHRC) and at Rice University, respectively. The conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required to attend.

Submission instructions

Deadline: January 21, 2025

To submit a paper or panel proposal, please fill out the Call for Papers/Panels form below using the downloadable templates for paper or panel.

Please submit a 500-word abstract of the paper or panel proposal using the templates below. Please be certain to include title of paper/panel, your name, institution/affiliation, and contact information. If proposing a panel, please list all panelists and affiliations. Please submit abstracts as a PDF.

PAPER Proposal Template | PANEL Proposal Template

Participants will hear back about acceptance to the Symposium by the second week of February, 2025. Please email blackhoustons@rice.edu with questions.

Symposium Publication

Selected papers will be included in the symposium edited volume. Papers selected for inclusion must be original work and not previously published, and the paper cannot be under consideration for publication elsewhere. Graduate students and early career scholars are encouraged to apply. If your paper is accepted, the final submission will be due no later than July 1, 2025.

The symposium is generously supported by:

The Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning (CERCL)
The Fondren Library
Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS)
The African American History Research Center at the Gregory School