The documentation on Atlantic slavery, both in Africa and the Americas, is filled with ethnonyms: ‘Mina’, ‘Congo’, ‘Coromantee’, ‘Igbo’, ‘Mandenga’, ‘Jolofo’—the catalogue is substantial. Although sometimes dismissed as meaningless categories imposed by enslavers and imperialists, our contention is that ethnonyms are valuable pieces of information that represent unguarded moments when an acknowledgement of an enslaved persons’ humanity slipped into the archive, an unintended consequence of the inherent contradiction in defining people as property. Yet while essential to recovering the humanity of enslaved Africans, ethnonyms cannot be taken uncritically, requiring careful conceptualization and contextualization.

This conference/workshop seeks to assemble scholars interested in exploring the meaning of ethnonyms in the era of the transatlantic slave trade, ca. 1500-1866. We welcome presentations exploring any aspect of African ethnonyms, whether on a global or local scale, from any discipline, in any geographic setting, and from scholars at all career stages. Papers from the conference will be considered for publication in an edited anthology.