Eos exists to create a supportive, dedicated community for studying Africana receptions of ancient Greece & Rome and to foster collaborative research and pedagogy between Classics and other disciplines.
Who can join Eos?
Our membership consists of students, scholars, teachers, and members of the public who are interested in receptions of ancient Greece and Rome by Black peoples across the African diaspora and the African continent, who subscribe to our listserv, and who participate in our activities.
Why Eos now?
Eos believes the resurgence of nationalist and nativist movements across the globe demands a thorough commitment to redressing reductive narratives of the ancient Greek and Roman world and to studying the full spectrum of its reception. However, we do not view this historical moment as unique. Rather, Eos acknowledges the long history preceding these contemporary events wherein peoples of African descent have been systematically denigrated and ignored while being exploited for their labor.
Why a scholarly society?
Academic institutions and the discipline of Classics have often been used for exclusionary ends. For these reasons, Eos values Africana receptions of the Greco-Roman past not as resources to serve the contemporary needs of the academy or the discipline of Classics, but as achievements in and of themselves. This history of exclusion is especially salient in the case of Black Classicists, past and present. Moreover, as a society dedicated to studying the contributions of people of African descent from the African continent and throughout the diaspora, Eos prioritizes practices that treat students and faculty of color equitably, respects their intellectual and affective work, and ensures that it is visible within the academy and outside of it.
What are Eos’ strategies?
Eos supports long-term, field-changing endeavors that will sustain a community dedicated to Classical reception in Africa and across the African diaspora:
As scholars, we seek to discover the ways Black peoples from the African continent and the African diaspora have engaged the ancient Greeks and Romans and demonstrated new approaches to the ancient world.
As teachers, we foster diverse perspectives on the Greco-Roman past and develop ways for students from a variety of backgrounds to interact with this material in our classrooms, with the hope of creating life-long interest in the Classics.
As mentors, we strive to empower advisees, graduate students and junior faculty members--especially those of color--in order that they may thrive.
As colleagues, we collaborate with scholars from a range of disciplines to develop new questions and to explore new methods for this field of study.
As members of communities beyond academia, we draw on contemporary resources such as social media, town halls, and community organizations to make the study of the Greco-Roman past accessible regardless of socio-economic status, racial/ethnic identity, or other categories of perceived difference.
In these ways, Eos hopes not only to promote a particular field of study but also to encourage the ongoing reception of Greco-Roman antiquity in the contemporary world.
How can you get involved?
Subscribe to our newsletter and get the scoop on our latest news and initiatives.
Suggest a new project for Eos to take on. If it relates to our mission, we want to see it through!
Suggest someone for our interview series.
Collaborate with us on one of our projects or invite us to join you.
Join a Constellation for this upcoming term.
Attend or co-host an Eos READS on your campus.
Just shoot us an email. We like email.