1. Fall 2009
Pre-Event Planning Document
Executive Summary
“Intersecting Diasporas: A Mini-Symposium” is salon-style dialogue designed to cultivate the
understanding of diaspora and diasporic identity.
This planned symposium will be a lively forum for cross-cultural conversations to explore the histories,
cultural heritage, similarities, and differences evident in the intersection of African Americans with post-
colonial African, Latin, and Caribbean immigrant groups. The conference hopes to target emerging
scholars from the San Francisco Bay Area.
The term “intersecting” is key because most ethnic and cultural development occur in some relationships
to other ethnic and cultural groups, but also their intersect with other axes such as gender, sexuality and
class.
The aim of Intersecting Diasporas is to serve as a pilot project for the Museum of African Diaspora. The
mini-symposium is a unique forum that will engage emerging scholarship, build relationships and a viable
network, as well as establish an innovative partnership amongst local universities, community groups, and
museum stakeholders.
Invited guests and speakers will include emerging scholars as well as current graduate students whose
research interests are on cultural production and identity formation. Invited speakers will be mostly from
the field of African American Studies as well as related fields, such as Ethnic Studies and Anthropology.
Several professors or established scholars will also be invited to serve as moderators, to lead discussion,
and to address the conference.
This short conference is a public forum that is planned during MoAD’s hours of operation. As a pilot to
gauge success for as well as augment the planned year-long “Intersecting Diasporas” series, this mini-
symposium is planned in a conservative manner so as to incur minimal expenditure, yet engage
constructive dialogue. There may be costs for refreshments, but refreshments are tentative at the
moment and/or may require underwriting prior to the event.
This particular symposium, in its shorten form, will serve as an introduction to the whole serie of
symposium designed by Sheree (MoAD). As well, it will serve as a pilot project for the longer 6-part series
intended at MoAD. Testing activities is always relevant, then make sure they’ll work effectively and will
meet the needs of the target audience. In that idea, the mini-symposium will serve as a draft, but also a
model on which subsequent version can be based.
The three-hour mini-symposium will consist of four coordinated presentations of substantial interest and
relevance to diaspora and its implications. There will be breaks for discussion and scholarly input.
At the moment, the projected date for the mini-symposium is set to be on either Friday, October 23, 2009
or Saturday, October 24, 2009. With either option, the conference can commence at 1:00pm and
conclude around 5:00pm.
This project will take place in three phases, all of which will be detailed in the following section:
I. Pre-Symposium (establishing theme; inviting speakers; confirming speakers; finalizing program;
stakeholder, community, public and media outreach; developing marketing collateral)
2. Symposium (project execution)
3. Post-Symposium (follow-up communication; archiving all project materials; reporting)

2. Why MoAD?
MoAD is a fitting framework to engage in the global discussion on diasporic cultural development. As a
first voice museum, discussions about representations in the framework of the institution are fundamental
as they provide credibility to the museum and reflect an image of a critical institution. Such a discussion
makes MoAD being part of something bigger: that way, the museum, as a private/public open space
dialogue, helps research development. The program suggested also respond to the museum’s mission
and values by raising questions about the African diaspora itself.
This sustainable strategy of encouraging local (which fosters environmental stewardship), emerging
scholars (which is also a cost-efficient model) to bring forth their ideas in an intellectual forum outside the
classroom will allow MoAD to foster new community partnerships and collaborations with the academic
community (which generates higher levels of accountability for MoAD) and reach news audiences (which,
in turn, fosters cultural diversity).
Project Plan (details, deliverables, and expected outcomes)
In this section, we will detail the three phases for this 9-week “Intersection Diasporas: A Mini-Symposium”
project along with expectations and deliverables along the way.
Phase 1: Pre-Symposium (8 weeks)
1. Theme Development
Intersecting Diasporas:
Working themes:
“Representation in African Diaspora”
“The Performance of Diversity”
The diasporic movement of people is a direct result of as well as part of the process of globalization. The
African Diaspora is unique in that has traveled far and wide to the Americas, the Carribbean, Northern
Europe, Australia and beyond. As a result, today there is a global kaleidoscope of cultures that make up
this particular diaspora.
Paul Gilroy said “It ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you’re at". MoAD presents this symposium as the
first of many conversations that aims to explore the origin, movement, adaptation, and the
transformation of the African Diaspora. In particular, this mini-symposium brings forth the issue of
representation in the African Diaspora.
Topics for papers/presentations and for discussion can include:
Origin and Development of Diasporic Arts, Aesthetics and Performances - production and interpretation
of the visual images of popular performers across the diaspora
o Diversity in the African Diaspora – diversity of cultures
o The Performance of Diversity – issues of orientalism, transnationalism, globalization, iconicity,
authenticity
o Commodification and circulation of the African diasporas performances and their aesthetics in
the global world
o Visuals and images of the African diaspora

3. 2. Finding Speakers – Develop list of invitees amongst university graduate and doctorate students,
professors, administrators of programs across colleges and universities across the Bay Area. Plan to invite
up to 12 relevant student-speakers (in case of unavailability) and up to 3 moderators (in case of
unavailability) and up to 2 keynote speakers (in case of unavailability). In some cases, the latter two
speakers’ lists can be interchangeable. Also, it is not pertinent for the moderators to be academics.
Potential guests:
o Louis Chude-Sokai
Professor of Literature at UC Santa Cruz. A writer and scholar whose work explores the African
Diaspora, his The Last Darky: Bert Williams, Black on Black Minstrelsy and the African Diaspora
was published this year. Louis was the organizer and moderator for MoAD’s first symposium on
the Black Francophone world, Paris is Burning (Again) held at MoAD on April 13, 2006
3. Finalizing Program – Cultivate relationships and finalize speakers, speaking points, and program.
Draft Program Structure:
Participants:
3-5 students presenting – ideas, thesis, etc. surrounding a topic
Professor Introduction – major academic
Moderator – professor, museum professional, or etc.
Critique – Panel of Professors
Draft Program:
Welcome – 20 minutes - 1pm
MC – Introductions - 1:30pm
Keynote Speech –overview of the topic, the need for this conversation – 1:40pm
4 students (15 minutes each) – total of 1 hour -- 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Academic Critique – 15 minutes – 3:50pm
Roundtable Discussion – 4:30pm
MC – Farewell – end by 5pm
After Party – Otis?
4. Developing Collateral – Develop website materials, press release, and all other outreach materials.
5. Conducting Outreach – Establish lists to groups, community organizations, museum members, Board
members, other primary and secondary stakeholders, and potentially interested populations across the
Bay Area, including university undergraduate groups; reach out to everyone on list strategically (through
those who already have solid contact)
6. Administration – Finalize logistical details, such as number of volunteers needed, order of
refreshments, setup.
This first part will take place starting in the first week of September 2009 and the first 3 points will be
completed by mid to late September. Outreach efforts will commence once the program and speakers
are finalized from late September to late October.
Phase II: Symposium (1 day) - On the day of the symposium, we will set-up the museum space and audio
visuals, ensure refreshments are in place, and greet guests in a timely manner.

4. Phase III: Post-Symposium (1 week) - Immediately following the symposium, all project materials will be
archived; the conference will be reported, and all statistics gathered and visitor numbers will be reported
as part of a revised grant application for the six-part, year-long series of academic conferences known as
Paris is Burning (Again)/Intersecting Diasporas.
Timeline
TIMEFRAME CHECKLIST
 Finalize project plan and timeline
September – Week 1  Develop theme, titles, flow of symposium
 Begin writing “Call for Presentations”
September – Week 2  Finalize themes, titles, flow, concept of symposium
 Finalize call for presentations
 Develop lists of potential keynote speakers, moderators, experts
 Develop list of universities, students to reach out to
September – Week 3  Contact/invite speakers
 Contact/call for presentations/outreach to students, universities
 Determine location for after-party if we will have it; build relations
 Develop logo, blurb, and basic marketing collateral – same can be used
for website and e-invitation, same theme can be adapted for programme &
all other marketing materials
 Open registration for conference (via MoAD website?)
 Find donors – for various portions of this conference
September – Week 4  Develop marketing materials – press release, e-invitation
 Follow-up with speakers, start confirming them
 Keep reaching out to student groups – invite using e-invitation and
direct them to portion of website
 Correspond with speakers, students, community organizations,
members, Board members, and other populations we can invite
September end/October  Finalize day’s program
begin – Week 5  Draft printed materials (day’s program, press release, poster, etc.)
 Continue outreach with All groups
 Field questions and inquiries from students and others
 Maintain contact with speakers, those involved with conference
October – Week 6  Confirm speakers
 Keep track of registrants, conduct more outreach if necessary – target is
to have 100 people there, by this time if there are not already 80%
registered, conduct more active outreach
October – Week 7  Outreach efforts continued
 Finalize speakers, student presenters, all program elements come
together
 Confirm with “after-party” venue
 Thank donors, give them special invitation
 Confirm up to 6 volunteers for event; let them know their R&R
 Media Outreach
 Confirm food, refreshments, guards, photographer, etc.
October – Week 8  Print program
 Talk to reporters again
 Last-minute questions, issues
 Email blast to lists

5. October – Day of  Point-Person for Invited guests, speakers, presenters
Mini-Symposium  Point-Person for AV, food, logistics, set-up, volunteers
 Point-Person for Media
 Volunteers – for welcome, refreshments, seating
October – Week 9  Archive anything and everything (lists, marketing materials, Call for
Presentation, Press Release, Press coverage)
 Send thank-you
 Report Results
Budget
By keeping project operation costs low, we may be able to break even for this event. Through concerted
efforts to harness sponsorship, MoAD may be able to generate revenue.
ITEM PROJECTED COST
Honorarium for any potentially high-profile keynote guest $200
Light Snacks (100 x $2) $300
(Non-Alcoholic) Beverages (100 x $3) $300
Costs (Estimated) $800
ITEM PROJECTED INCOME
Collected Visitor Donations (50 x $5) $250
(50 x $10) $500
Income (Estimated) $750
TOTAL BUDGET: $800 (ESTIMATED)

6. Eventual Event Display