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The Journal of Black Language and Culture (JBLAC) invites applications for membership on its editorial board.
JBLAC is a recently-launched journal of the Linguistic Society of America that publishes interdisciplinary scholarship examining Black language AND culture as integrated phenomena. The journal explores Blackness through a global, diasporic lens and recognizes Black language as a site of knowledge production, resistance, creativity, and care, which is deeply rooted in the fabric of Black life. JBLAC accepts submissions from a range of disciplinary perspectives, including but not limited to Black & Africana Studies, Linguistics, English, World Languages, Rhetoric and Composition, Communication Studies, Education, Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, Feminist and Gender Studies, Latinx Studies, and American Studies. Scholars of any background, disciplinary training, or methodological approach whose expertise aligns with the journal's mission and needs are welcome to apply. The journal’s boards are intended to represent the wide variety of people and approaches to the study of Black language and culture. We particularly encourage scholars outside of the U.S. and scholars underrepresented in this area of research (e.g., disabled Black scholars) to apply.
About the board
Board members serve a three-year term, with the option to renew once (serving for a total of six years). The board consists of four different roles that intersect in purpose and practice, and all members come together once per quarter for a review of the journal’s progress (in addition to any ad hoc meetings for members based on their role). Board members are asked to contribute in ways aligned with their areas of expertise and career stage, including: in general, graduate students are best suited for the junior advisor and review roles; pre-tenure scholars for the review role; tenured scholars for the review and editorial roles; and full/senior scholars for senior advisor roles.
Junior advisory board members are graduate students who offer guidance and feedback on the journal’s vision and help ensure the inclusion of student work. They will solicit articles for submission and may be asked to review articles (when their expertise is relevant and appropriate).
Review board members are selected for their disciplinary and methodological expertise. They are primarily responsible for upholding the quality and inclusivity of JBLAC’s peer-review process, providing feedback on the process itself, and reviewing up to four articles per year (when their expertise is relevant and appropriate; otherwise, an external reviewer will be consulted).
Editorial board members serve as the journal’s primary oversight body, offering initial feedback on submitted manuscripts (where necessary and appropriate), reviewing up to four articles per year (when their expertise is relevant and appropriate), shaping the journal’s direction and focus, and publicizing the journal within their academic circles.
Senior advisory board members provide strategic guidance, institutional memory, and mentorship to the editorial team. With a broader view of the field and its historical development, senior advisors help JBLAC navigate challenges and build sustainability. They also solicit submissions and review up to four articles per year (when their expertise is relevant and appropriate).
To apply
Interested scholars should submit a CV and a 2-4 page written application that (a) describes why they are interested in being a journal board member, (b) states which board role(s) they are interested in, and (c) describes their research in response to the six guiding rubrics of the journal:
Are the ideas of your research agenda focused on a scholarly area concerning both Black language and culture?
Are they of interest to a transdisciplinary readership?
How well is your research theoretically situated in a broader Black language and culture context? (Does your work situate itself within varying concepts of Black transnationalism, global representations of Blackness, African-heritage lenses for understanding Blackness, etc.?)
How do you consider the implications of your work for the lived experiences of Black people?
Does your work directly address ethical concerns regarding research practices and researcher positionality, such as how information is collected and analyzed, and how your methodological choices are made?
How innovative and interdisciplinary is your work?
Board members will be selected based on their expertise in analyses of language that are explicitly augmented by studies of culture from the humanities, social sciences, and other interdisciplinary fields.
Other forms of participation can be discussed for those who would like to support the journal but are unable to commit to full board membership.
Application materials should be submitted to: jblac@lsadc.org. The deadline to submit materials for the first round of review is March 1, 2026. To ask questions, you can email the same address or drop into JBLAC Editor Office hours, which are posted on the LSA events calendar: https://www.lsadc.org/calendar_list.asp.