The Body, (Dis)Ability, and Wellness in Africana Religions
Friday, April 21, 2023
9 am – 6 pm EST
University of North Carolina, Charlotte and via livestream
Opening Plenary
Dr. Yolanda Covington-Ward Professor and Chair of Afro-American Studies Universeity of Massachusetts, Amherst
Keynote Address
Awise Dr. Wande Abimbola President, Ifa Heritage Institute
Featured Artist
Nneka Gigi
Sacred stories across the African continent and the world conceptualize the human body as a sculpture crafted from the substance of the earth and animated by the “breath of life” sourced from the Almighty Creator. Simultaneously envisaged as a work of art, a house for the soul, and a source of pleasure and pain, the body animates every human being’s journey through life and its condition and appearance are heavy determinants of how an individual is able to move through the world. This conference will center the body, examining how African and Diasporic religions conceive of the body-spirit connection, and the concepts of ability, disability, and wellness often applied to the body.