The 16th Annual Lemon Project Spring Symposium

March 20-21, 2026

United We Stand: Fortifying Black Communities through Courage, Dignity, and Joy

This Williamsburg, Virginia, symposium will take place both in person at the William & Mary School of Education (301 Monticello Avenue) and virtually over Zoom.

Event Details

William & Mary
The Lemon Project: A Journey of Reconciliation
16th Annual Lemon Project Spring Symposium, March 20-21, 2026
In-Person and Virtual Symposium
Event is free. All are welcome!

United We Stand: Fortifying Black Communities through Courage, Dignity, and Joy

Proposals by individuals and panels of 3-4 people are welcome.

About The Lemon Project: A Journey of Reconciliation:

Founded in 2009, the Lemon Project is the second institutionally funded project of its kind in the United States. The Lemon Project is a multifaceted and dynamic attempt to rectify wrongs perpetrated against African Americans by William & Mary through action or inaction. An ongoing endeavor, The Lemon Project explores and encourages scholarship on the 330+ year relationship between African Americans and William & Mary. The Lemon Project builds bridges between William & Mary and African American communities through research, programming, and supporting students, faculty, and staff.

Call for Proposals

“You don’t need permission to have a revolution.” – Dr. Daniel Black, “What Would the Ancestors Say?” at the 15^th Annual Lemon Project Spring Symposium

During his keynote at our 2025 symposium, Dr. Daniel Black made a powerful call to action, urging us to unify and create a more just society for present and future generations. Dr. Black reminded us that “we are the way makers and the dream shakers.” Building and maintaining thriving communities requires the power of our imagination and commitment to collective work and responsibility. We aim to continue these conversations as we focus the theme: “United We Stand: Fortifying Black Communities through Courage, Dignity, and Joy.”

In today’s world, we must find a way to unify and amplify our voices as we face challenges. Dr. Black reminded us that we have everything necessary to continually overcome barriers, and a just future demands that we act with wisdom, courage, dignity, and joy.

The 2026 Spring Symposium will explore the following questions: How can Black people and their communities fortify themselves through cultural practices, powerful history, and collective action? How do Black communities find joy and courage amid constant challenges and dehumanization? In what ways can dignity serve as a survival mechanism for Black communities? How can universities and other institutions who are confronting slavery and its legacies continue to work towards repair and healing despite challenges?

These questions seek to stimulate conversation and explore new ideas at the symposium as we focus on fortifying Black communities through courage, dignity, and joy. We encourage participants to reflect on historical contexts, celebrate cultural strengths, and envision collaborative pathways towards sustainable empowerment and social justice.

Our symposium is multi-disciplinary and open to all. We seek proposals from people who research Black communities and are interested in themes related to courage, dignity, and joy, including but not limited to academic and descendant and/or family researchers and historians, educators, genealogists, activists, spiritual practitioners, and members of Greater Williamsburg communities and beyond. We invite a broad range of topics from people who work in the fields of American Studies, Black Studies, Anthropology, History, Public Humanities, Preservation, Oral History, STEM, among others. We also invite community organizers, activists, mental health professionals, and wellness practitioners to submit proposals in areas such as cultural production (art, poetry, music), wellness, and spirituality.

Possible topics include but are not limited to:

Family histories, local histories, descendant histories, and genealogical studies
Black family reunions, gathering spaces, and religious events, including homegoings, and homecomings
Black LGBTQ+ people and/or communities’
Black healers and ancestral health practices; healing through land, space, and ancestral ties
Mental and emotional health of Black communities
Black memory, community healing practices, foodways, and heritage studies
Reparations and reparative efforts by people and/or institutions
Narratives of enslaved and free Black people, focusing on stories of courage, dignity, and joy
Finding courage, dignity, and joy in the work of universities studying slavery and its legacies

The symposium has three main objectives, focusing on resilience, collaboration, and repair:

Deepen understanding of cultural and historical resilience
- Participants will explore how Black communities have historically drawn upon cultural practices, ancestral knowledge, and collective memory as a blueprint to educate and mobilize communities to make positive change.
Foster cross-disciplinary and community collaboration
- Attendees are encouraged to engage with knowledge producers across academic disciplines and community roles to promote dialogue, build networks, and create actionable strategies for community improvement.
Inspire Practices of Repair, Wellness, and Empowerment
- Symposium attendees will gain insight into reparative practices, wellness traditions, and institutional models that support the vitality of communities.

Submission Guidelines

Complete your Individual Submission

Guidelines for a Submission from an Individual

Complete your submission by applying no later than October 10, 2025. Submissions require the following information:

Name and Email Address
Institutional or Community Affiliation, if applicable
Indicate whether you are a/an: Undergraduate Student, Graduate/Professional Student, Community Member, Faculty, Staff, Administrator, Genealogist, or Not Listed
Title of Individual Submission
Summary of your proposal (1020 characters maximum), including a discussion of how your presentation relates to the symposium’s theme, and/or question(s) that you will address and/or a call to action. This will be included in the online program.
Brief biography (no more than 900 characters). This will also be included in the online conference program.
Preview the individual proposal application.

Complete your Panel Submission

Guidelines for Panel Submissions

Complete your submission by applying no later than October 10, 2025. Submissions require the following information:

Names and Emails of panelists
Name and Email of Panel Moderator (Required)
Institutional or Community Affiliations, if applicable
Indicate whether panelists are: Undergraduate Students, Graduate/Professional Students, Community Members, Faculty, Staff, Administrators, Genealogists, or Not Listed
Summary of your proposal (1020 characters maximum). This should include a brief discussion of how your presentation relates to the symposium's theme, and/or a question that you will attempt to answer and/or a call to action.
Short biography (no more than 200 words for each person) of each panel participant and the panel moderator.
Preview the panel submission application.

Complete your Poster Submission

Guidelines for Poster Submissions

Complete your submission by applying no later than October 10, 2025. Submissions require the following information:

Name and Email Address
Institutional or Community Affiliation, if applicable
Indicate whether you are: Undergraduate Students, Graduate/Professional Students, Community Members, Faculty, Staff, Administrators, Genealogists, or Not Listed
Title of Poster Submission
Summary of your poster (1020 characters maximum). This should include a brief discussion of how your presentation relates to the symposium's theme, and/or a question that you will attempt to answer and/or a call to action. *This will be included in the online program.
Space requirements of your poster. Please provide approximate measurements of your poster and indicate if you will use a table or easel.
Short biography (1020 characters maximum). This will be in the online program.
Preview the poster submission application.

View a PDF of the Call for Proposals

Questions?

For questions about the Lemon Project Symposium, email the Lemon Project team at [[w|lemon]].

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