Franklin Humanities Institute at Duke University

08/26/2026

Join author and scholar Najha Zigbi-Johnson for a gallery talk exploring Mapping Malcolm in conversation with the exhibition, Turn the volume up! Moderated by Durham-based artist Marcella Zigbuo Camara, the discussion will examine how artists, writers, and cultural thinkers engage questions of place, memory, identity, resistance, and collective liberation.

Visitors are invited to engage with the exhibition through the lens of Mapping Malcolm, discovering unexpected connections between contemporary artistic practice and the enduring legacy of Malcolm X.

Location: Nasher Museum of Art

Date: August 29, 12-2pm

Mapping Malcolm (Columbia UP, 2024) continues the project of reinscribing Malcolm X’s memory and legacy in the present by exploring his commitment to community building and his articulation of a global power analysis as it continues to manifest across New York City today. More specifically, the book explores the limits and possibilities of the archive, the political, material, and philosophical legacy of the Black radical tradition, the Black diaspora, and the state. Oriented toward sovereignty and liberation, Mapping Malcolm brings together artists, community organizers, and scholars to consider the politics of Black space-making in Harlem through a range of historical, cultural, and anti-imperialist worldviews designed to offer new, reparatory pedagogical possibilities.

Najha Zigbi-Johnson is a writer and cultural organizer. Her Harlem-based practice explores the intersections of contemporary Black art, the built environment, and social movements. She is the editor of Mapping Malcolm (2024), a transdisciplinary publication that brings together artists, community organizers, and scholars to consider the politics of Black space-making in Harlem and across the diasporic world. Najha is a graduate of Guilford College and Harvard Divinity School, and was subsequently a Research Fellow at the Graduate School of Architecture Preservation and Planning at Columbia University. Currently, Najha’s work explores how Black political movements give way to cultural production and institution building. This ongoing inquiry is shaped by her roles lecturing in architecture and political science at the City College of New York, her curatorial work, and her writing practice. Najha’s work has been published by New York Magazine, Artforum, SEEN Journal, Essence, White Cube Gallery, and more.

08/18/2026

NEW ON YOUTUBE: Renowned postcolonial thinker Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak reflects on how Fred Jameson impacted her intellectual life through his research, his writing, and his friendship in her keynote address, “Reading Jameson.” She was awarded the prestigious Holberg Prize in 2025 and came to speak at our Fredric Jameson and the Future of Critical Theory Conference earlier this year.

From 10 to 12 April, 2026, Duke University, in collaboration with t...

08/12/2026

NEW ON YOUTUBE: What was the intellectual legacy of the late cultural theorist and philosopher Fredric Jameson? Arriving at Duke University in 1985 to innovate and directed Duke's Program in Literature for 18 years, Dr. Jameson left an indelible mark. Earlier this year in April, FHI in collaboration with the Holberg Prize, held a three-day conference where scholars and luminaries descended upon Duke's East Campus to exchange ideas and discuss the ways that Fred Jameson impacted their own academic trajectories. Two of those luminaries, Achille Mbembe & Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, had a spirited conversation on the future of critical theory, sharing the main stage together.

Co-sponsors included: Duke's Program in Literature, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, and the Fredric Jameson Institute for Critical Theory

From 10 to 12 April, 2026, Duke University, in collaboration with t...

08/03/2026

In a conversation with Crandall Family Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology Courtney Lewis at the John Franklin Humanities Institute, acclaimed scholar Jodi Byrd explored why video games deserve to be taken seriously—not just as entertainment, but as cultural texts that shape how we understand colonialism, Indigenous futures, memory, and power.

It's a fascinating look at how one of today's most influential mediums can deepen the questions at the heart of the humanities. And it's best highlighted through Byrd's newest work, "Indigenomicon."

Read more here: https://fhi.duke.edu/news/author-jodi-byrd-video-games-arent-just-playing/

07/29/2026

A new chapter begins for Left of Black! 🎥

Award-winning scholar Christopher Ouma takes the helm of the acclaimed series, bringing a global, Pan-African perspective to conversations on Black thought, culture, and the humanities.

Since original host Mark Anthony Neal launched the series in 2011, Left of Black has become a leading platform for conversations with scholars, artists, writers, and public intellectuals shaping the field.

Ouma's appointment marks an exciting new chapter that builds on that legacy while broadening the series' international reach.

Read more: https://fhi.duke.edu/news/christopher-ouma-takes-helm-award-winning-series-left-black/

07/09/2026

How soon should you approach en editor for your book project? Well, let’s talk about, not just having an editor, but BUILDING A TEAM to help you get across that literary finish line! We celebrated 100 years of Duke University Press by hosting two panel discussions on everything you need to know about publishing your humanities and social science book. Full talk on YouTube!

07/09/2026

What is a Duke Press book? Well, it depends on what you want the book to do! Ken Wissoker and Elizabeth Ault explain the possibilities that publishing with Duke University Press can offer. We celebrated 100 years of Duke University Press by hosting two panel discussions on everything you need to know about publishing your humanities and social science book. Full talk on YouTube!

07/07/2026

NEW ON YOUTUBE: Renowned sculptor Stephen Hayes and cultural storyteller Javier Wallace joined forces to create a series of underwater sculptures intentionally dedicated to enslaved Africans and their descendants. This living memorial is a groundbreaking way to honor the African diaspora—rooted in truth, humanity, and artistic innovation. At each location, Hayes will cast at least two descendants of the enslaved—people whose family histories are tied to that place. The sculptures are then submerged in local waters for one year. Over that time, the ocean becomes an active collaborator, transforming the work through coral growth, salt, and tide. After a year, the sculptures are retrieved and placed on pedestals, carrying the story of their journey. They will then travel to museums and galleries worldwide, forming a powerful, collective narrative of the African diaspora. Dr. Javier Wallace ensures each installation is rooted in meticulous historical research, centering the humanity of Africans who were forcibly taken from their families, communities, and continents. Using archival data, including slave ship records, the project connects each sculpture to specific stories, voyages, and people. Find their full joint talk on the Forum @ FHI YouTube channel!

06/30/2026

NEW ON YOUTUBE! Panel 2 of our Duke Press at 100 speaks on "Connecting with a Publisher and Understanding the Publishing Landscape," featuring Courtney Berger, Executive Editor of Duke University Press, Gisela Fosado, Editorial Director of Duke University Press, with moderator Sylvia Miller, founder of Arches Publishing in Chapel Hill, NC.

To mark the Centennial of the Duke University Press, the DUP and th...

06/29/2026

NEW ON YOUTUBE! To mark the Centennial of the Duke University Press, the DUP and the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute (FHI) hosted two panel discussions on everything you need to know about publishing your humanities and social science book: from the process of turning a dissertation into a book to strategies for connecting with the best press for your book. Find them on our YouTube channel!