Constitution Day – 2018
Call for Papers, Presentations, and Panels: “Rights and Wrongs: A Constitution and Citizenship Day Conference at San Francisco State University” – 17-18 September 2018
We welcome proposals for papers, presentations, panels, roundtables, teach-ins, and workshops at “Rights and Wrongs: A Constitution and Citizenship Day Conference,” which will take place on 17-18 September 2018.
Over the last year, the people of the United States have participated in far-reaching debates and discussions about the U.S. Constitution. Many of these conversations have focused on democratic governance and its relationship to presidential elections, foreign collusion, political corruption, voting rights, legislative redistricting, and constitutional impeachment. Others have addressed specific constitutional provisions such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, separation of church and state, privacy rights, rights to bear arms, protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, birthright citizenship, due process rights, and rights of equal protection. Meanwhile, some of the most polarizing national discussions of 2017 and 2018—about racialized policing, immigration restriction, sanctuary cities, health care, sexual harassment, LGBT rights, hate speech, and gun control—have been framed as matters of constitutional meaning and significance. Just as important and revealing are the constitutional topics that much of the country has not been considering, including the rights of indigenous, colonized, incarcerated, and institutionalized peoples on lands currently claimed and controlled by the United States.
What did the U.S. Constitution say and do in the past and what does it say and do today? Has it produced, preserved, and promoted social hierarchies or has it supported the expansion of citizenship, democracy, and equality? What does the Constitution reveal and obscure? Is the United States experiencing constitutional crises? Have the country’s recent political troubles exposed longstanding problems with the U.S. constitutional “order”? Can the history of the U.S. Constitution serve as a resource for people troubled by today’s uses and abuses of U.S. power and politics? For those seeking social change, is the Constitution an opportunity or obstacle? Can and should it be followed, changed, modified, or abandoned? Who makes meaning out of the U.S. Constitution and what meanings are made of it? What are the implications of our interpretations and transformations of the U.S. Constitution?
Please join us to discuss these and other issues at “Rights and Wrongs.” San Francisco State University has a proud tradition of sponsoring Constitution and Citizenship Day conferences. Last year’s event was sponsored by the College of Liberal and Creative Arts and cosponsored by eleven other colleges, schools, departments, centers, and other campus organizations at SFSU. More than 1600 faculty, students, and community members attended the event, which featured faculty, graduate student, and community-based presenters. As was the case last year, the 2018 conference will provide multiple opportunities to reflect critically on the past, present, and future of constitutional rights and freedoms and larger questions about equality, democracy, and justice.
Proposals for papers, presentations, panels, roundtables, teach-ins, and workshops (maximum 250 words) should be submitted by 25 June 2018 to marcs@sfsu.edu. We welcome individual and group submissions. Please submit short vitas/resumes for all participants. Recommended topics include but are not limited to:
Affirmative Action
Amending the Constitution
Asian American Legal Histories: Colonialism, Exclusion, and Internment
Athletes and the First Amendment
Black Lives Matter and Racialized Policing
Campaign Finance, Citizens United, and the First Amendment
Civil Disobedience, Political Protest, and the Constitution
Colonies and the Constitution: Cuba, Guam, Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Samoa
Disability Rights to Life, Liberty, and Equality
Dreamers, Deportation, and the Constitution
Educational Rights, Teacher Tenure, and Faculty Unions
Fascism, Nationalism, Populism, and the Constitution
Free Speech at Colleges and Universities
Guantanamo and the Constitution
Gun Control and the Second Amendment
Education, Health, Housing, and Welfare Rights
Immigration Law and the Politics of Exclusion
Impeachment and Presidential Politics
Indigenous Treaty Rights and Political Sovereignty
Islamophobia and the Muslim Ban
Palestine, Israel, and Campus Politics
Press Freedoms and “Fake News”
Prisons, Prisoners, and the Carceral State
Privacy and the Constitution in the Social Media Era
Sanctuary Cities, Federalism, and the Politics of Immigration
Sex Discrimination and LGBT Rights
Sexual Citizenship and Queer Rights
Sexual Harassment Law
Slavery, Freedom, and Reparations
Student Activism and Constitutional Rights
Supreme Court Appointments
Surveillance, Security, and Constitutional Law
Trans Rights and Freedoms
The U.S. Constitution in Comparative, Transnational, and Global Contexts
Voting Rights and Legislative Redistricting
War Powers and National Security: Congress, President, Supreme Court
Women’s Rights, Sex Discrimination, and Gender Equality
Organizing Committee:
Conference Coordinator: Marc Stein, History Department
Rabab Ibrahim Abdulhadi, Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies
Soumyaa Behrens, School of Cinema
Martin Carcieri, Political Science Department
Teresa Carrillo, Latina/Latino Studies Department
Mali Kigasari, Paralegal Studies Program
Catherine Kudlick, History Department and Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability
Blanca Maria Missé, Modern Languages and Literatures Department
Kym Morrison, History Department
Maria L. Quintana, Latina/Latino Studies Department
César "Ché" Rodríguez, Criminal Justice Studies Department
Wendy Salkin, Philosophy Department
Clare Sears, Sociology and Sexuality Studies Department
Venise Wagner, Journalism Department
Sponsor: College of Liberal and Creative Arts
Co-sponsors: To Be Announced
Conference Website: https://history.sfsu.edu/content/constitution-day