Florida State University will host an international conference from February 19 to 21, focusing on the roles of Africa and people of African descent in World War I and World War II. The event, titled “Africa and the African Diaspora and the World Wars,” is organized by FSU’s Department of History’s Institute on World War II and the Human Experience, the Society for Black Military Studies, and Auburn University’s Department of History. More than 15 speakers from various countries are scheduled to participate. Attendance is free but requires registration.
Kurt Piehler, associate professor of history at FSU and director of the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience, explained that the conference will highlight presentations by emerging scholars from Africa as well as recent immigrants to America. He said, “The conference will feature presentations by young scholars from Africa and speakers who recently immigrated to America, considering battles and other military engagements during the World Wars that took place in Africa, and the military history of African American participation in World War II.”
The conference begins at 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 19 at the FSU Alumni Association Center with a keynote address by Chad Williams, Tomorrow Foundation Chair of American Intellectual History at Boston University. Williams has authored four books about African American history. His talk will cover topics including World War I, Black military history, and W.E.B. Du Bois—a prominent sociologist who advocated for African Americans’ support for U.S. involvement in WWI as a means to gain civil rights.
Piehler commented on Williams’ participation: “Chad Williams is a remarkable scholar; he is one of the leading historians of military history in the 20th century, particularly for African American soldiers’ experiences of World War I. We were inspired to invite him to speak at the conference after an insightful conversation with my students regarding his book, ‘Torchbearers of Democracy: African American Soldiers in the World War I Era.’”
After Thursday’s keynote address, five sessions are planned—three on Friday and two on Saturday—all held at FSU Alumni Association Center. These sessions will explore themes such as Black military service, operations in Africa during both wars, social change under colonial rule, political communication strategies during wartime, among others.
Piehler emphasized that this area remains understudied: “Africa and the African diaspora—the voluntary and involuntary movement of African descendants across the globe—are often overlooked in military history,” he said. “We hope the conference will promote scholarship in this field and encourage scholars to submit papers to The Journal of Black Military Studies—a new journal established in 2024 by one of the conference’s sponsors, The Society for Black Military Studies.”
Founded in 2022, The Society for Black Military Studies seeks to document contributions made by Black soldiers throughout history while raising awareness about their complex experiences.
Le’Trice Donaldson—founder and president of The Society for Black Military Studies as well as assistant professor at Auburn University—noted: “World War I and World War II cannot be understood without Africa and the African diaspora,” she said. “The World Wars were turning points in making modern Black politics and identities—shaping struggles such as citizenship, labor and freedom. This conference emphasizes that the World Wars were global Black history—not just European history.”
Funding comes from both George & Martin Langford Endowment Fund as well as Pearl Tyner Endowment Fund.
For more information or registration details contact Kurt Piehler via email (kpiehler@fsu.edu). Additional information about FSU’s Department of History can be found at https://history.fsu.edu/, while details about its Institute on World War II & Human Experience are available at https://history.fsu.edu/institutes/institute-world-war-ii-and-human-experience.
