Keynote Speech: "Reimagining Black Life, Black Culture, and Black Resilience in Higher Education"

The keynote address at the 2026 Institute on Black Life Annual Conference, “Black Life in Higher Education and Beyond,” features Dr. Veronica Newton, Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Georgia State University and a leading scholar examining the lived experiences of Black women within systems of inequality. A qualitative ethnographer, Dr. Newton's research explores how systems of oppression shape the lives of Black women, particularly within higher education. Her work explores the intersections of race, gender and oppression, with a focus on Black/trap feminism and intersectionality. In her keynote presentation, "Reimagining Black Life, Black Culture, and Black Resistance in Higher Education," Dr. Newton examines how language, discourse, and institutional narratives influence understandings of Black identity, culture, and resistance within colleges and universities. Dr. Newton is also a member of the Cardi B Collective and co-author of "The Sociology of Cardi B: A Trap Feminist Approach". The book received an Honorable Mention for the Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship Book Award from the American Sociological Association's Race, Gender, and Class Section in 2025 As the conference's featured keynote speaker, Dr. Newton offers a powerful and timely exploration of Black life in higher education. Learn more about the Institute on Black Life: www.usf.edu/IBL #IBL2026 #IBLConference #IBL #USF #BlackLife #HigherEducation #BlackCulture #BlackResistance #Sociology #BlackScholarship Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 12:55 Dr. Veronica Newton's presentation