Franklin Humanities Institute at Duke University

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/

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!

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.

Duke Press at 100! Publishing Fundamentals: Connect with a Publisher, Know the Publishing Scene To mark the Centennial of the Duke University Press, the DUP and th...

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!

NEW ON YOUTUBE! To mark the Centennial of 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.

This panel features Elizabeth Ault, Senior Editor of Duke University Press; Ken Wissoker, Senior Executive Editor of Duke University Press, and moderator Dr. Chris Ouma, Associate Professor of English at Duke.

Duke Press at 100! Publishing Fundamentals: How Dissertations Become Book Manuscripts To mark the Centennial of the Duke University Press, the DUP and th...

The Smith Warehouse's history runs so deep. The bricks of the building were produced by Robert George Fitzgerald, who was freed from slavery in 1832 and started his own successful brick factory in Durham. He was the grandfather of civil rights icon, the Rev. Pauli Murray, and left an indelible imprint on the Durham-Chapel Hill area. The Smith Warehouse is a part of that tremendous legacy. Thank you Working for highlighting this part of campus!

Before it became home to hundreds of Duke employees, the Smith Warehouse was a to***co warehouse.

In a story from the October 2010 Working@Duke magazine, Jim Roberts, then Executive Vice Provost of Finance and Administration, talked about what it meant for Duke to purchase and renovate the facility in 2001.

“To have many different offices and departments in one central location is a microcosm of the Duke community – people with all kinds of skills and backgrounds who get to interact with each other to make a wonderful and unique workplace,” Roberts said.

Discover more in the archive issue: https://issuu.com/workingatduke/docs/w_d_october_2010

And join us as we celebrate 20 years of the Working@Duke publication and revisit stories from the magazine's history: https://today.duke.edu/2026/03/happy-20th-anniversary-workingduke

Do you work in Smith Warehouse? Share what makes it a special place to work.

The Alice M. Baldwin Scholars | Duke University Career Center | Cinematic Arts at Duke | Duke Facilities Management | Franklin Humanities Institute at Duke University | Duke University Global Education for Undergraduates | Duke University Libraries | Duke Office for Institutional Equity | Office of University Scholars and Fellows- OUSF - Duke University | The Robertson Scholars Leadership Program | Sustainable Duke

NEW ON YOUTUBE! The 2026 Winner of the Méndez Book Award is “A Flower Traveled in My Blood: The Incredible True Story of the Grandmothers Who Fought to Find a Stolen Generation of Children,” by Haley Cohen Gilliland, a journalist and the director of Yale Journalism Initiative. In the book, Gilliland documents how the Argentine Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo set out to find their grandchildren, abducted by the military junta in the 1970s and 80s. With determination and creativity, the abuelas marched, confronted the authorities, allied with local and international human rights groups, and pioneered the use of genetic testing to find their loved ones. This is despite the intense grief of losing their adult children, “disappeared” by the security forces.

NEW ON YOUTUBE! The 2026 Winner of the Méndez Book Award is "A Flower Traveled in My Blood: The Incredible True Story of the Grandmothers Who Fought to Find a Stolen Generation of Children," by Haley Cohen Gilliland, a journalist and the director of the Yale Journalism Initiative. In the book, Gilliland documents how the Argentine Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo set out to find their grandchildren, abducted by the military junta in the 1970s and 80s. With determination and creativity, the abuelas marched, confronted the authorities, allied with local and international human rights groups, and pioneered the use of genetic testing to find their loved ones. This is despite the intense grief of losing their adult children, "disappeared" by the security forces.

The Juan E. Méndez Book Award for Human Rights in Latin America honors the leadership and legacy of Juan E. Méndez, a champion of justice who has devoted his life to the defense of human rights. Presented by our Duke Human Rights Center at the Franklin Humanities Institute in conjunction with the Human Rights Archive at the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library

"A Flower Traveled in My Blood" by Haley Cohen Gilliland | 2026 Méndez Book Award Winner! Learn about the Juan E. Méndez Book Award for Human Rights in Latin...