Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Academic Program for the 2026 Annual Conference  

Updated: Nov 4, 2025

General

Q: What is the location for the 2025 Annual Conference?

  1. The 2026 ASALH Conference is scheduled to be held in Norfolk, VA

Q: What is the date for the 2025 Annual Conference?

  1. September 23-27, 2026

Q. When will the submission portal be open?

  1. The portal will be open in January 2026

Q. Do I have to be a member of ASALH to submit a proposal for the Annual Conference?

  1. You do not need to be a member to submit a proposal, but upon being accepted to present at the conference, you must become a member at any level and register by July 31st in order to participate in the conference and must have completed the Presenter Confirmation Form.

Q. How do I log in to All Academic?

  1. ASALH Members: Your password for the All Academic database is the same as the ASALH Member Portal. If you do not recall your password, use this link Forgot Your Password
  1. Non-Members If you are not a current ASALH member you need an ASALH Member Portal account because these two systems are linked. To get an ASALH Member Portal account you can 1. Join as an ASALH member or 2. Contact ASALH Member Services at membership@asalh.org or call 202-238-5912 for assistance to create a non-members account.

Q: How do I join ASALH?

  1.  Please use this link to join as a member of the Association For the Study of African American Life and History.

Q: How do I register for the conference?

  1.  Registration will be available in Spring/Summer 2026

Q: How do I make my hotel reservation?

  1. Information about booking your hotel will be available on ASALH National’s website. The host hotel is Marriott Norfolk Waterside. Information is posted here https://asalh.org/conference/location-travel/ 

Q. What is the difference between ASALH Member Portal and All Academic?

  1. ASALH Member Portal is where you can communicate with ASALH members, join and renew, and purchase goods. All Academic is the platform used to submit proposals for the annual conference and to access the conference schedule. You will receive correspondence from All Academic throughout the process about your proposal status, registration information, and conference schedule, so please add <DO_NOT_REPLY@allacademic.com> to your email contact list so information does not go to spam.  

Schedule

Q: How do I access the conference program?

  1. The conference program will be available in Summer 2026

Q: How do I create my personal schedule

  1. Follow the instructions above to access the online program. In the left-hand navigation, select “Sign In” . Use the All Academic credentials you used previously.

Session Types

Q: I am planning to submit a proposal – what information do I need to enter into the All Academic database?

  1. For a full panel session proposal, you MUST include ALL of the following information: (a) session title; (b) session abstract (no abstracts over 300 words will be considered); (c) name, affiliation, email, and contact number for the session chair; (d) name, affiliation, email, and paper title for each presenter; (e) name, affiliation, and email for each commentator.

Q: What constitutes a full panel session?

  1. A full panel session is a multiple-presenter format that consists of no more than four (4) individually titled papers thematically connected, with one (1) chair one (1) commentator. Session length is 75 to 105 minutes depending on the slot.

Q. What is a commentator?

  1. A commentator provides remarks about the session content and should not be one of the panelists.

Q. What is a chair?

  1. A chair moderates the question and answer session, introduces the panel, and keeps time. The chair should not be one of the panelists.

Q: What are my responsibilities as Session Chair?

  1.  The Session Chair should contact each participant to make sure that notification has been received and ensure that the panelists have all registered for ASALH and the conference. In addition, to make the conference as valuable an intellectual experience as possible, Chairs should plan to receive the papers in advance, if possible, and provide substantive comments that summarize the papers and point out connections and/or dissimilarities, with at least one comment critical or positive about each paper before moderating the discussion with the audience.

Q: I planned to submit a paper, but understand that panels are preferred. I need help putting a panel together. How do I locate other panelists?

  1. The Academic Program Committee has developed a Google spreadsheet to support panel organization.

Q: What if I am submitting an individual paper proposal, what must I have?

  1. The space for paper sessions is limited, thus we encourage you to consider submitting a panel session.

For individual paper proposals, you MUST include a: (a) paper title; (b) paper abstract (no abstracts over 300 words will be considered); and (c) your name, affiliation, email, and contact number.

Q: What should a conference roundtable session look like?

  1. A roundtable is a multiple-presenter format that consists of a session moderator that directs the discussion with four (4) designated speakers addressing a single theme. The moderator is expected to develop questions in conjunction with roundtable participant to drive the discussion, but roundtable participants are not expected to present prepared papers or comments; brief introductory remarks of no more than five (5) minutes from designated speakers are encouraged though. This session type is ideal for more free-flowing, unstructured discussions. “State of the Field” or “Future Research Directions” are examples of the kind of topics that are suitable for this type of session.

Q: If I want to submit a roundtable proposal, what do I need to do?

  1. The following information is REQUIRED for a roundtable proposal to be considered for inclusion on the conference program: (a) roundtable session title; (b) an abstract clearly outlining the themes or subjects to be discussed (no abstracts over 300 words will be considered); (c) name, affiliation, email, and contact number for the moderator; (d) name, affiliation, email, and contact number for EACH designated speaker.

Q: What is a conference workshop supposed to look like?

  1. A workshop submission is a multiple-presenter format that also involves hands-on audience participation. A workshop consists of at least three (3) session leaders and a clear program of activities to be completed by the audience during the session.

Q: What is required to submit a workshop proposal?

  1. To submit a proposal for a conference workshop session, you MUST provide the following information: (a) workshop Title; (b) workshop abstract (no abstracts over 300 words will be considered); (c) name, affiliation, email, and contact number for each workshop leader; and (d) a detailed program of activities for the workshop audience

Q: What is a media session submission?

  1. A media submission is altogether different from the film festival that takes place in conjunction with the annual conference. A media session submission consists of either: a) a viewing of an individual film, or b) a media panel where a moderated or group discussion of a film is conducted following the film screening with a maximum 5 designated commentators.

Q: I am planning to submit a media session proposal – what information do I need to enter into the All Academic database?

  1. To submit a media session proposal, you MUST provide the following information through All-Academic: (a) a session title; (b) the title of the media to be screened; (c) name, affiliation, email, and contact number for the session organizer; and (d) name, affiliation, email, and contact number of the moderator and/or each designated commentators (if applicable).

Q: What is a poster session?

  1. A poster can be submitted by an individual or a group of individuals to display research and discuss findings. Additionally, ASALH Branches can submit posters on their branch activities or on historic/important figures in their community. Submissions will be reviewed on the basis of the quality of research, significance of research, and clarity of presentation by a panel of academic scholars designated by the ASALH Academic Program Committee. For more information regarding poster sessions, please see the FAQs for Poster Sessions below.

Q: I want to submit a poster proposal—what do I need to do?

  1. To submit a poster proposal, you MUST provide: (a) a poster title; (b) a poster abstract (no abstracts over 300 words will be considered); (c) your full name, affiliation, email, and contact number. For more information regarding poster sessions, please see the FAQs for Poster Sessions below.

All Academic

Q: Is it possible to edit the original proposal if I can’t enter all of the required information initially?

  1. Yes, you can edit the proposal, and you may actually be asked to revise and resubmit a proposal

Q: What do I do if I forget my ID and/or password?

  1. Remember your All Academic password and username is the same one as the ASALH Member Portal, so please use this link to reset both passwords.

Acceptances

Q: How will I know that the information has actually been entered into the All Academic database?

  1. You will receive a confirmation message prior to logging off of the All Academic website. In addition, you will receive an e-mail confirmation that your submission has been added to the database.

Q: How soon will I know whether the proposal has been accepted or not?

  1. Notification of the status of proposals will not occur until after the submission deadline and after the Academic Program Committee has considered all proposals and organized sessions by grouping papers with common themes. This process typically occurs 30 days after the deadline.

Q: If I submitted a panel proposal will all participants automatically receive notification regarding the status of the proposal?

  1. Yes. However, please make sure that each participant has a valid and current email address in the All Academic system.

Q: Once I receive notification of acceptance of my proposal what other actions do I need to take to ensure inclusion in the program?

  1. All conference participants MUST complete the membership process for ASALH and register for the conference.
  2. Anyone who is not a member and/or register for the conference will not appear in

the printed program and are not allowed to present. Panel organizers should be

sure that all panelists know that they must join ASALH and register for the

conference by the stated deadlines in order to be able to attend and present at

the conference.

  1. Please note that: If you have an account in the ASALH Member Portal but have

NOT joined ASALH, you must join and register for the conference on the

conference registration link, which will be provided in SPRING 2026.

  1. If you are already a member of ASALH, you will be sent a direct link to

REGISTER for the conference as a member or as a guest member), you MUST

REGISTER for the conference using the unique link that will be provided in

SPRING 2026.

Absences

Q: What do I do if unforeseen circumstances prevent me from attending the conference?

  1. You should provide notification of your inability to attend the conference at least two (2) weeks prior to the conference so that this information can be included in the program addendum. If you do not let the committee know by July 31, 2026 YOU ARE STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR CONFERENCE REGISTRATION AND MEMBERSHIP DUES.

Q: Are there repercussions if I fail to provide notification?

  1. Yes. ASALH maintains record of no shows and this information is used in the proposal evaluation process for two years.

POSTER SESSIONS: ASALH FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS GUIDE (FAQ)  

Q. What is a poster session?

  1. A poster can be submitted by an individual or a group of individuals to display research and discuss findings. Additionally, ASALH Branches can submit posters on their branch activities or on historic/important figures in their community. Submissions will be reviewed on the basis of the quality of research, significance of research, and clarity of presentation by a panel of academic scholars designated by the ASALH Academic Program Committee. For more information regarding poster sessions, please see below)

Poster Session Information

Posters typically include pictures, data, graphs, diagrams and narrative text. Authors are required to present their posters during the scheduled times during the meeting. These presentations are more like elevator speeches that summarize the poster content with attendees that stop by the poster to view it and ask questions. Helpful tips on creating posters are available at these links:

Poster sessions cannot be used to advertise products or to display vendor items. If you are unsure if your proposal qualifies, please email the committee at Contact Form. If you are interested in advertising or selling items at the conference, please visit the exhibitors and advertisers page.

Q: Who can submit a poster session?

  1.  Any individual, organization, or branch can submit a poster following the guidelines in the call. We welcome proposals from the public, scholars, researchers, and students on topics relating to the theme or on a timely subject matter. Any presenter at the ASALH Annual Meeting must become a member of the Association and register for the conference.

Q: What is the format for the poster sessions?

  1. The poster session is a hybrid event. Presenters will submit a recording or a digital version of their poster to the poster committee. Recordings must be submitted to the committee by September 16, 2026 by 11:59 PM and are limited to 5 minutes total. 

Q: When is the in-person poster session?

  1. The poster session will be on Friday, Sep 25, 2026 at 10:00 AM. Check the schedule for the location. Poster presenters will be sent a form to indicate if they will be presenting in-person as well. There will be easels for posters to be displayed.

Q: When can I set-up my poster?

  1. You can set up your poster Friday morning beginning at 8:00 AM. Check the schedule for the location. Poster presenters will be sent a form to indicate if they will be presenting in person as well. There will be easels for posters to be displayed.

Q: I am pre-recording my poster session, what do I need to send?

  1. You will need to send to a mp4 file or a link to a cloud recording by September 16, 2026 by 11:59 PM. Email address TBD.

Q: Will the recordings and posters be open to the public?

  1. Yes, the digital posters and recordings will be posted to a padlet for the public and embedded into the All Academic platform. See the poster session from 2021 here

 

Q: If I am recording my poster, do I have to attend the scheduled session?

  1. The in-person is optional, but we encourage you to do so to talk to conference attendees. Poster presenters will be sent a form to indicate if they will be presenting in person as well. There will be easels for posters to be displayed.

Q: Will ASALH pay my travel expenses and/or registration fee to attend the Conference if I am presenting a poster?

  1. ASALH will not pay for registration or membership. 

Q: What if I have a conflict between my poster session presentation time and a meeting?

  1. At least one author of the poster must be present during the poster sessions. This is the opportunity to give feedback to conference attendees who stop to ask questions. Poster sessions cannot be presented unless at least one author is present during the allotted time.

Q: What happens if I have to cancel my poster session because I can’t attend the conference?

  1. Please plan on a backup person who will be able to represent your poster if an emergency arises. If there is not a person, email the Academic Program Committee and let them know that you can no longer attend.

Q: Can I have an Internet connection or other electrical support?

  1. No, there will not be an electrical support for the in-person poster session. You can access the conference Wi-fi for internet.

Q: Can I have an audiovisual component to my poster?

  1. Audio-visual presentations that include sound are accepted, but it should not comprise more than 50% of your session. If the audiovisual component (i.e. film) is a large part, please submit a media session instead.

Q: What about simultaneous submissions? Can I submit a poster session proposal about a project for which I have also submitted a manuscript for publication in a journal?

  1. Yes, poster submissions for articles that have been simultaneously submitted for publication are welcomed, as long as you note the simultaneous submission in your abstract. IMPORTANT: Please note at the end of your abstract if the project has been submitted to other conferences, for publication in a journal, or has been published or presented before.

Q: Can I submit more than one poster?

  1. No

Q:  What is the difference between the ASALH Exhibit area and the ASALH Poster Session?

  1. The poster session is expressly NOT for vendors to display or promote new products, or for organizational displays.

Q.  I attended the March 3rd Poster Information Session, and I am interested in the slides, where can I locate them?

  1. Thank you for your interest in the slides, you can access them here ASALH Poster Session Webinar 2026