Frances E. W. Harper 200: Looking Back, Moving Forward, 1825–2025
Sept. 19–21, 2025 • The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA
Dear Colleagues, Friends, and Family,
We are excited to share that the Center for Black Digital Research/#DigBlk and the Africana Research Center at Penn State will be hosting an in-person symposium on September 19-21–just days before Frances Harper’s 200th birthday. We invite you to attend in person! The weekend festivities include a dance performance, scholarly panels, poetry readings, receptions, and more. Most events are free. If you’re interested please see this registration form and visit our event page for additional information. We have reserved room blocks at two nearby hotels: The Graduate (group rate of $195 per night plus taxes/fees expires Aug. 19) and the Nittany Lion Inn (group rate $179 plus taxes/fees expires Aug. 22).
Highlights include a reception for guest-of-honor Frances Smith Foster, a debut performance of “Frances E.W. Harper, an Artivist Life” directed by Lynnette Young Overby at the Center for Performance Arts’ Eisenhower Auditorium, and new poetry in honor of Harper by a host of exciting writers.
In addition to the dancers, poets, and guest of honor, participants include Martha S. Jones, Eric Gardner, and Sherita L. Johnson on a keynote panel; Sabrina Evans, Nazera Sadiq Wright, Cora Anthony, Marlas Yvonne Whitley, Jim Downs, Ariana Nadia Nash, Jacob Sloan, Lauren Barnes, Brigette Fielder, Katherine Adams, Robert Arbour, Amardeep Singh, Brandi Locke, Melissa J. Lingle-Martin, John (“J.P.”) Sloan, and Leslie K. Dunlap. Presentations on other facets of #DigBlk’s #Harper200 initiative–our #TranscribeHarper, digital exhibit and curriculum and read-a-thon will feature Jacqueline Barrios, Denise Burgher, and Eunice Toh, among others.
Teaching Harper this year? We invite you to incorporate this exciting Harper digital exhibit into your syllabus, to join or assign our #TranscribeHarper initiative (made public on her birthday), and to host a read-a-thon event. Visit our Harper initiatives page to keep track of all our events.
Come celebrate with us,
Gabrielle, Lynnette, and Sherita
Sherita L. Johnson, PhD, Director, Africana Research Center (ARC), Associate Professor of English, College of the Liberal Arts, Pennsylvania State University
Lynnette Young Overby, PhD, National Council of the Humanities, The Community Engagement Initiative, Founding director of the Partnership for Arts & Culture, Professor of Theatre and Dance and Co-Director, emerita, University of Delaware
P. Gabrielle Foreman, PhD, MacArthur Fellow, 2022, Founding Co-Director, Center for Black Digital Research/#DigBlk, Founding Director, The Colored Conventions Project, The Paterno Family Chair of Liberal Arts, Professor of English, African American Studies, and History, Pennsylvania State University