Scholars’ Workshop in Early African American Print

In January 2026, the American Antiquarian Society will host the Scholars’ Workshop in Early African American Print. The four-day, in-person workshop will bring together eight graduate students and early career scholars specializing in pre-1900 African American history and culture. Participants will work closely with primary sources and refine works in progress―whether a dissertation chapter, book proposal, scholarly article, or other project. Designed for scholars new to archival work, the workshop offers professional development and direct access to AAS’s extensive holdings, including early African American newspapers, pamphlets, books, and other original sources. Tara Bynum, Society member and associate professor of English and African American studies at the University of Iowa, will lead the program in collaboration with AAS staff.

Working together, workshop participants will explore the following questions: 

• What is early African American print?
• What’s the difference between print and manuscript, and how do their differences and convergences matter for the study of early African American history and culture?
• What is an archive and what are archival sources? How does one go about finding sources and incorporating them into compelling scholarly arguments?
• What are the genres and formats that characterize Black expression in the eighteenth century and in later periods?
• How can close examination of archival sources at institutions like AAS enliven the work of historians, literary scholars, art historians, and researchers in related humanities disciplines?
• What are the practical steps one must take to translate research in early African American print into professional milestones such as a successful dissertation, publishable article, or book proposal? 

Throughout the workshop’s four days, participants will propose provisional answers to these questions through intense collaboration and archival exploration. In the process, they will connect with other rising scholars, new colleagues in the AAS community, and other professional networks.

Program activities include:

• Reading and discussion of foundational scholarship in early African American print culture.
• Dedicated periods where each participant shares a writing project for group discussion and constructive feedback.
• An introduction to using early African American archival sources at AAS in creative and compelling ways.
• Hands-on sessions with exemplary materials in the AAS collections.
• A concluding roundtable on scholarly publishing with editors at university presses and academic journals.
• Additional time for independent study using the AAS collections.
   

The Scholars’ Workshop in Early African American Print is part of the AAS African American Collections Initiative. Additional support comes from the American Council of Learned Societies Intention Foundry, an ACLS initiative designed to advance equity, justice, and anti-racism in the academy.

For questions about the Scholars’ Workshop, contact John J. Garcia, AAS director of scholarly programs and partnerships, at jgarcia [at] mwa.org (jgarcia[at]mwa[dot]org) or 508-471-2134. 

Application

Using the application portal, please submit the following materials:

• 1-page CV
• Statement of interest, including a description of prior research in pre-1900 African American history and culture and your experiences using archival sources. In the Statement of Interest, applicants may also discuss what they hope to gain from participating in the program (two pages, double spaced)
• An abstract of your current research project and short description of the work-in-progress to be shared in the workshop (one page, double spaced).

The application deadline is October 15, 2025. Accepted applicants will be notified in mid-November.

Eligibility

Limited to eight participants, the Scholars’ Workshop in Early African American Print welcomes applications from emerging scholars at the dissertation stage and beyond. Researchers who are new to archival research or with limited institutional access to special collections are encouraged to apply. Applicants should be working on a significant piece of scholarly writing, either from the dissertation or an academic project related to pre-1900 African American studies. 

Scholars holding tenure or its equivalent, as well as those more than four years beyond the dissertation, are not eligible. Admitted participants should have little to no prior experience with the AAS collections. For this reason, past AAS fellows and seminar participants are not eligible for the program.

Syllabus and Schedule of Activities

The syllabus will be posted the first week of December 2025. Participants will share a twenty-five-page work-in-progress no later than December 15, 2025.

Cost

The Scholars’ Workshop is tuition-free, and each participant will receive an honorarium of $1,000 to assist with travel and related expenses.

Housing

Workshop participants will stay onsite in the AAS fellows’ housing for the duration of the program, free of charge.

Accessibility

AAS is committed to creating an environment that welcomes all people and meets their access needs. The library and classroom facilities are wheelchair accessible. Other accommodations may be available upon advance request. Applicants can indicate any accessibility needs in their application materials.