Donavan Ramon presents research at the Race & Ethnicity Study Group gathering

On the evening of February 11, my colleague Donavan Ramon presented his research during a meeting of the Race & Ethnicity Study Group in St. Louis. The study group, by the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity led by its executive director, Dwight A McBride at Washington University, brings together scholars in the region to discuss their ongoing research projects. 

Ramon’s talk, entitled “Keeping It Real: Black Men, Fight Scenes and Self-Making,” served as an overview of a project he is pursuing that focuses on canonical autobiographies and contemporary memoirs by Black men. He is examining how writers use fight scenes to present ideas about masculinity, consider rites of passage, critique systems of power, and rework the memoir as a form.

It was a strong presentation, with Ramon identifying several of the authors he is studying, including Olaudah Equiano, Frederick Douglass, Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Damon Young, Kevin Powell, MK Asante, and Kiese Laymon.

After the presentation, there was a spirited Q&A session. It is rare for scholars to receive so much feedback on work in progress. During typical conference panels, there is usually time for only one or two questions. For this study group, however, about ten people participated in the post-presentation exchange, and some of us were able to ask multiple questions.

Providing a space for sustained feedback for scholars working on projects is one of the most important services that the Race & Ethnicity Study Group offers. I was also pleased that so many of my colleagues from SIUE were in attendance, including members of my crew from African American literary studies group.