The African Diaspora and the Disciplines

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments The editors incurred many debts in the funding, planning, and execution of this volume. Most of the book’s chapters derive from a two-­ day international symposium held at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in March 2006. This symposium brought together more than a dozen scholars from around the world. Without the generous financial support of our sponsors, such an event could not have been possible. Our major benefactors were the African Diaspora Cluster, the Office of the Provost, the College of Letters and Science, the African Diaspora and Atlantic World Research Circle, and the African Studies Program. Co-­ sponsors included the Department of African Languages and Literature, Department of Afro-­ American Studies, Anonymous Fund, Department of Anthropology, Department of Art History, Department of English, Department of French and Italian, Department of Geography, the Harvey Goldberg Center for the Study of Contemporary History, Department of History, the International Institute, Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies, School of Music, Department of Philosophy, and Department of Theater, all of the University of Wisconsin. Although financial support is crucial, the dedication and labor of colleagues , students, and administrative staff ultimately allow projects like this to come to fruition. We would first like to thank all of the contributors , whose collective energies provide a new vision for conceptualizing the African diaspora across the disciplines. Their collegiality, creativity, and timely delivery of the chapters made the task of editing an enjoyable one. We would also like to thank the members of the African Diaspora and Atlantic World Research Circle, particularly the graduate students, whose dynamism and energy are crucial to the circle’s day-­ to-­ day functioning . Indeed, one could justifiably argue that graduate student pushing and prodding prompted the interdisciplinary inquiries that animate much of this volume. Finally, a few individuals deserve special thanks for their contributions. Our colleague, Madeleine Wong, played a crucial role in the early planning and organization of the symposium. Jim Delehanty, the associate director of The African Studies Program at UW, offered his usual wise counsel and planning skills. And last but certainly not least, Toni Pressley-­Sanon worked indefatigably on this project from beginning vii viii Acknowledgments to end. She organized the travel and accommodations for all of the symposium attendees, served as conference coordinator, and administered the details of bringing this volume together. Without her diligence, efficiency, and good cheer, our task would have been much more difficult. We are also very appreciative of the support and understanding of Dee Mortensen, our editor at Indiana University Press, in taking on this publication . Her unflagging enthusiasm, in many ways, was catalytic from the start of our imagining the post-­ conference book phase of our project. Laura MacLeod, assistant sponsoring editor, expertly managed the important details. The anonymous readers offered probing and very insightful comments; scholars truly ought to celebrate themselves when they can take for granted such detailed and dispassionate attention from peers. the african diaspora and the disciplines ...