Charlotte James completed her undergraduate degree in History at the University of Leeds, and stayed on to complete a Masters in Race and Resistance, an interdisciplinary taught course that offered insight into racial approaches and the various means of resistance. JamesÕs Masters dissertation focused on 19th century black women and researched how Harriet Tubman has been remembered by artists, authors and communities. Now completing a PhD at the University of Nottingham, she is expanding this research to include Sojourner Truth, with a broader aim of analysing how we remember the antislavery movement.
An over-arching theme of the conference was a trans-disciplinary approach, clearly seen in the construction of the panels. From historians to lawyers to activists, it was clear that organisers of the conference wanted to encourage research collaboration in the effort to end modern slavery. Unlike an inter-disciplinary method, a trans-disciplinary approach goes across different areas of research, not just within, to fully utilise the expertise of each field.