Symposium on Afrofuturism and Diasporic Scholarship
Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
African American Cultural Center, Witherspoon Student Center
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About the Symposium
The Symposium on Afrofuturism and Diasporic Scholarship is hosted by the African American Cultural Center (AACC) alongside several key campus partners.
The symposium features diasporic learning, scholarship, and epistemologies through cutting-edge research, storytelling, creative works, discussion circles, and community projects from NC State and the local community. This symposium promotes student success by elevating diasporic scholarship, research, and intellectual rigor.
2026 Symposium Theme: We are the Architects, We are the Future
This year’s theme, “We are the Architects, We are the Future”, invites participants to explore the transformative power of Black Radical Imagination (Kelley, 2002) and the agency we hold in shaping our own narratives. This year’s research Symposium on Afrofuturism and Diasporic Scholarship provides vibrant spaces for future-making, self-authorship, and confidence building.
Our keynote, Dr. David Washington, alum of NC State and creator of the groundbreaking graphic novel The Black Defender, embodies this spirit of visionary creation. His work models the power of belief, representation and writing ourselves boldly into the present and future. This year’s Symposium celebrates the idea that we are not simply participants in tomorrow, we design the tomorrow we want to see. Through imagination, scholarship, and agency (see it, think it, and do it), we affirm that we exist in the future, and it will be a future that we shape for ourselves.
Keynote
Keynote Speaker
David Washington, MBA, MSA, JD, ESQ, PhD
Dr. David Washington, MBA, MSA, JD, ESQ, PhD, is a veteran of the U.S. Army, an organizational behavior consultant, and an Amazon bestselling author. His accolades include a nomination for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for a graphic novel.
Dr. Washington is a former faculty member and Assistant Dean at North Carolina State University, where he received the Outstanding Teacher and the SGA Distinguished Professor Awards. He holds an MBA from Webster University, an MSA from Central Michigan University, and a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. He is also a licensed attorney with a law degree from California Southern University.
Driven by a passion for representation, Dr. Washington ventured into the world of graphic novels to address the glaring lack of diverse superheroes. He was inspired by his desire to provide his children with heroes they can see themselves in.
Keynote Moderator
Felix Morton IV, PhD, LCMHC-QS, GTC
Felix Morton IV, PhD, LCMHC-QS, GTC is Core Faculty in the Counseling program at The Family Institute at Northwestern University. His research and teaching center Black men’s mental health and wellness, college student belonging, and culturally affirming approaches to teaching, supervision, and higher education practice. His interdisciplinary scholarship sits at the intersection of counseling, cultural studies, and popular culture, examining how stories shape mental health literacy, identity, and meaning-making for marginalized populations. With specific attention to the experiences of Black men and boys, Dr. Morton explores how popular culture reflects humanity, vulnerability, and resilience often denied in dominant narratives.
Dr. Morton earned a PhD in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development with a concentration in Counseling and Counselor Education from North Carolina State University, an MA in Counseling from Wake Forest University, and a BS in Teacher Education from East Carolina University. He is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Qualified Clinical Supervisor in North Carolina, and his honors include fellowships from the National Board for Certified Counselors and the American Psychological Association, the 2023 Jane E. Myers Wellness Counseling Award from the North Carolina Counseling Association, and the 2023 Young Alumni Award from East Carolina University.
Call for Research Proposals: Afrofuturism and Diasporic Scholarship Poster Session
We invite undergraduate and graduate students to submit proposals for poster presentations that contribute to the ongoing conversation around Afrofuturism and Diasporic Scholarship.
Your proposal needs a short program description of no more than 150 words. This is a brief summary of your work.
Please be sure to complete every step of the proposal form. For your final proposal submission (of no more than 150 words), you must clearly address the following:
- Connection to Conference Focus: Clearly state the specific connections between your research/scholarship and the conference focus on Afrofuturism and Diasporic Scholarship.
- Theoretical/Methodological Frameworks: Clearly articulate any relevant research methodologies, approaches, critical theories, or frameworks that inform your work (i.e., Womanism, Mixed Methods Research, etc.).
- Creativity and Innovation: Describe how your project is creative, interdisciplinary, or innovative.
- Learning and Take-Aways for Attendees: Describe exactly what attendees will learn and take away from your poster presentation.
Proposal Guidelines
Each submission will be assessed against our rubric.
Research Assistance
Are you interested in presenting a poster presentation at Symposium? Do you need help with your research? Schedule a research consultation with Wynter Douglas, AACC Librarian and Library Coordinator.
Proposal Deadline and Submission
The deadline to submit a proposal has passed.
Who Can Attend?
We welcome students, staff, faculty, alumni and community. This year we are centering student presenters only (undergraduate and graduate students) but there are plenty of opportunities for faculty, staff, students, alumni and community to engage together in conversation, exploration, and scholarship during various break-out sessions during the day. This year’s event will feature a keynote speaker, interactive and engaging breakout sessions, a student poster presentation session, a closing workshop and networking hour for graduate students.
Volunteer Opportunities
We are currently recruiting volunteers! Thank you in advance, and we look forward to seeing you at the symposium.
Registration
Registration is now open! Reserve your spot today. Guests are welcome to join us for the entire symposium or drop in for specific sessions that align with their interests.
All presenters, including facilitators, artists, practitioners, poster presenters, etc., must register for the symposium.
Graduate Student Networking Event
Thank you so much for your interest in attending our graduate student mixer following the Symposium on Afrofuturism and Diasporic Scholarship on Thursday, February 19th, 2026 from 5:30 pm to 8 pm. To ensure we have adequate food and drink we ask that you please fill out this RSVP form. We look forward to seeing you there!
This Graduate Student Mixer and all MSA-sponsored and hosted programs/initiatives are open to all students, faculty, staff, alumni and NC State Community members from all backgrounds.
Guiding Principles
The symposium will embrace and reflect the following guiding principles. Please download the Grounding Document to learn more about the symposium.
Practice Sankofa
learning from the past to build a future.
Be Futuristic
building on theories of afrofuturism (Womack, 2013), African futurism (Okorafor, 2019; Wabuke, 2020), and astro-Blackness (Anderson & Jones, 2016), these theories imagine a future where Black people do indeed exist, free from white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, extreme capitalism, and the violence of imperial wars. The “work of the imagination” as Robin D. G. Kelley frames it, offers us tools to craft “new visions” in a radical act of worldbuilding (Kelley, 2002).
Embody Ubuntu
build with and alongside community; increase capacity; honor our interconnectedness; build solidarity.
Each One Teach One
everyone has knowledge to share; decenter hierarchical power dynamics, center lived experiences and stories; cultivate intergenerational interactions and learning opportunities.
Foster Harambee
champion mutually supportive and relational ways of engaging with community, be relevant; offer solutions; share resources; ground theory in practice/praxis
Be Sustainable
create structures and systems that are equitable and just; be good stewards of our resources; build systems and institutions that can be replicated.
Be Emergent
value transformation, change, creativity, growth, and innovation; center relational ways of being; overstand that the process is just as important as the finished product (“emergent”) (Brown, 2017).
Rest as Revolution
nurture holistic practices and spirituality; be whole; be authentic.
Campus Partners and Sponsors
This event is always made possible with the incredible help and generous support of our campus partners and sponsors:
- NC State University Libraries
- Office of Undergraduate Research
- Interdisciplinary Studies
- Africana Studies
- Multicultural Student Affairs
- Jeffrey Wright Military and Veteran Services
- Career Development Center
If you are interested in collaborating or being a financial partner, please reach out to Dr. angela gay-audre at acgay@ncsu.edu or Dr. Andaiye Qaasim at aaqaasim@ncsu.edu.
Partners interested in sponsoring the 2026 symposium may complete the financial partnership commitment form.
Questions?
Visit the African American Cultural Center on the third floor of Witherspoon Student Center or contact
