On blackness, identity, and political activism in the Ethiopian community in Israel

Since 2021, the research group "When the Local Looks Back at the Global" has been working on blackness, identity, and political activism in the Ethiopian community in Israel. The group delves into the question of Israeli activists of Ethiopian origin turning to the North American black discourse, and explores the possibility of formulating local alternatives of classification and fighting against racism. In particular, the group aspired to open a space for contemplating the multitude of positions that exist in the local field and investigating the arenas and social relations in which the North American context contains a valuable message - as opposed to arenas in which it is rejected or obscures the possibilities that arise from the local context.

Essays written by members of the group will be featured in a special issue of the journal Theory and Criticism, which will be published in 2024.