99. The surge in white supremacy: upholding racial justice in art and design history

In 2020, Art History published an influential edition on Decolonizing Art History, arising from the 2018 AAH conference. The edition emerged among global outrage in support of Black Lives Matter and ongoing Rhodes Must Fall movements to topple whiteness in curriculum, teaching, research and wider culture. Decades of demands for justice had built these foundations.

In the UK the momentum was palpable. From grassroots to education to cultural organisations and businesses there were moves – many genuine, some performative – to boost pluriversality and dismantle what bell hooks termed ‘‘imperialist white supremacist capitalist cis-hetero patriarchy” (hooks 1984, 2015).

Yet this momentum is under assault. In Britain, postcolonial melancholy, white nostalgia and victimhood has led to Brexit’s ongoing ethno-nationalist triumphalism (Gilroy 2006). The global rise of Far-Right politics has resulted in a growing backlash against EDI/DEI initiatives and a normalising of racist, sexist, homophobic and anti-trans views. Advocates of plural cultures are threatened, including the appallingly racist treatment of Black British scholar Professor Jason Arday which led to his death. 

In our field, how can we strengthen opposition to this? At the 2026 AAH conference, ‘white supremacy’ was not named in any session or paper titles. Our 2027 session fills this gap. With Far-Right governments gaining ground, we invite contributions 

•           identifying compliance with white supremacy in art and design history

•           exploring how art and design historians, educators, institutions, publishers are refusing white supremacy

•           establishing new futures for anti-racist and pluriversal knowledge-creation, learning, teaching, curating, publishing

Themes: white supremacy, anti-racism, pluriversality

Additional format comment: A half-day of papers/provocations of 15 minutes length with my 5 mins for clarifications. Then workshop-style to deepen discussion – small groups, possibly World Café style. Facilitated discussion between experiences of contributors and participants.

Lead Convenor: Tanveer Ahmed, Senior Lecturer in Fashion and Race, Central St Martins, UAL, United Kingdom

Co-convenors: Jane Trowell, Independent Scholar, ex-University of Nottingham, School of Education, United Kingdom

To submit a Paper to this Session, please follow the guidance on our website and complete the AAH 2027 Call for Papers Proposal Submission Form.