Few commodities have shaped and continue to haunt the lives of Black people across the diaspora as much as sugar. Yet, to only view Black people’s relationship to sugar through violent histories and presents is to miss a sweetness—belonging, intimacy, connection—that exceeds it. Simultaneously engaging violence and care as co-constitutive forces that structure Black life, this talk draws from archival research about carceral structures and sugar production alongside Dr. Reese’s practice of baking in search of answers to the question: how might we map a distinction between sugar —a product of racial capitalism—and sweetness, a necessary component of Black life?

Sponsored by the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, Department of Global & Sociocultural Studies, Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Office of Social Justice and Inclusion and the Steven J Green School of International & Public Affairs