Genocide, Race, and Colonialism: Lessons from History

Описание: November 11, 2025 | A. Dirk Moses (City College of New York, CUNY) & Zoé Samudzi (The Ohio State University)
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In this talk, two scholars take distinct but interconnected approaches to the history and implications of the concept and reality of genocide. A. Dirk Moses discusses genocide before the term was invented: tracing the nature of mass violence in global colonial/imperial history and how that violence was justified and condemned by Europeans before the word “genocide” entered the lexicon. Zoé Samudzi approaches the topic by means of the Civil Rights Congress’s petition, “We Charge Genocide”—asserting that the United States was committing genocide against its Black citizens—and the implications of that challenge on the preeminence of state sovereignty and humanitarian responses to ethnic violence.

The Concept of Genocide

A series exploring an idea used to convey the magnitude of the Holocaust that has now become newly charged and profoundly contentious.

Although its legal definition differs somewhat from its role in popular discourse, the word “genocide” as used today is understood as the "crime of all crimes," the gravest assault against human life and identity. For many years, the word was closely associated with the Holocaust, the Nazi campaign to exterminate the Jews. Many now accuse the state of Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians.

Despite its pervasiveness in public discourse, the concept of genocide is relatively new. It did not enter international law until 1948. Moreover, scholars are divided regarding its legal definition and applications. This lecture series examines genocide as both a legal concept and a historical phenomenon. Over five lectures, leading scholars will investigate: What is the concept of genocide? How did the Holocaust and state power define its postwar emergence? And how have recent debates amid Israel's war in Gaza redefined scholars' understanding of the limits and advantages of the genocide concept? Please join us for an important and pressing discussion.