Events
Welcome to the Department of Anthropology's events page! Events are open to all members
of the University of South Carolina community and the public. Topics range from scholarly
research to industry advice (e.g., careers, publishing, research).
In
particular, the Colloquia Series hosts local scholars and invited guests who cover
engaging research from around the world. They are an excellent opportunity to learn
about groundbreaking anthropological research, to meet and interact with scholars,
and get inspired by what others are doing.
2025
Anthropology Colloquium: Constructing the Carne Asada Cookout: Liberatory Linguistics
toward mapping Black Spanish(es)
Anthropology Colloquium: “Constructing the Carne Asada Cookout: Liberatory Linguistics toward mapping Black
Spanish(es)”
Speaker: Aris Clemons, PhD, University of Tennessee Knoxville
When/Where: Tuesday, Dec. 2 · 3 p.m. · Gambrell 429
How do Black U.S. Spanish varieties emerge across different cultural, geographic,
and linguistic contexts? This talk introduces liberatory linguistics, a framework that challenges colonial foundations of linguistic study while centering
race, power, and community. Using examples from music, media, and community practice,
Clemons examines how Blackness and Latinidad are negotiated through linguistic choices,
sonic cues, and visual semiotics—offering a new approach for understanding how Black
Spanish(es) form and how communities construct belonging.
“Streaming Language Shift”
Anthropology Colloquium: “Streaming Language Shift”
Speaker: Ashley McDermott, University of Michigan
When/Where: Thursday, Dec. 4 · 3 p.m. · Gambrell 431
How do YouTube algorithms shape kids’ language use in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan? This talk
explores how children’s everyday Russian and Kyrgyz practices emerge from a mix of
home and school interactions plus algorithmically recommended online content, revealing
new dynamics of language shift in a global, digital age.
“The City That Sugar Built”: Prisons, Agriculture, and the Making of Southeast
Anthropology Colloquium: “The City That Sugar Built”
Speaker: Ashanté Reese, PhD, The University of Texas at Austin
When/Where: Monday, Feb. 9 · 3 p.m. · Gambrell 429
Explore how sugar production, prisons, and agriculture intersect in Southeast Texas.
Drawing on archival, archaeological, and media sources, Dr. Reese examines how public–private
partnerships built “the city that sugar built” and shaped carceral violence impacting
Black lives.
Join Us in the Archaeology Lab
Volunteers are invited to participate in a working archaeology lab. Participants will
be taught how to wash and sort artifacts recovered from the USC Horseshoe excavation.
Participants must be age 12 or older. Anyone under 18 must have a parent or guardian
present. Space is limited. Please RSVP to archaeology@mailbox.sc.edu.
Hamilton, Room 134 | 4:30 - 6:30
- Thursday, October 30th
- Tuesday, November 11th