Call For Papers

Association of Black Women Historians Symposium

December 8-11, 2022

The Association of Black Women Historians (ABWH) is pleased to invite paper submissions for its second national symposium “Shining Threads and Heavy Loads | Where We Enter and When We Exhale: Black Women Making History.”The symposium will convene from Thursday, December 8th through Sunday, December 11th, 2022 on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. 

This year’s symposium centers care work, labor, and leisure within the field of Black women’s history and offers a curated space to think deeply about the intersections of self-care, self-love, wellness, and research by and about Black women.

As always, the goals of the ABWH symposium are to assess the field, highlight cutting-edge research, promote dialog and generative feedback, and explore ways to successfully navigate the academic terrain. As such, this year’s symposium will feature:

  • Professionalization workshops
  • Scholarly panels and roundtable discussions
  • The annual ABWH luncheon and awards ceremony
  • A brunch and film screening

Themes for Scholarly Presentations

In alignment with our conference focus, proposals are welcome in any time period or geographical location in five main subject areas. This year, we are only accepting individual paper submissions.  The panel themes guiding this year’s symposium are as follows:

  • Labor, Organizing, and the Black Radical Tradition
  • Health, Wellness, and Self-Care in Black Communities
  • Black Aesthetics, Performance, and Popular Culture
  • Joy, Pleasure, Embodiment, and the Erotic
  • Black Women’s Knowledge Production

How to Submit a Proposal

You may submit a proposal by completing the form at https://bit.ly/ABWHSymposium2022. You will enter your contact information in the form and upload your proposal (either a Word or PDF file) at the bottom of the form. Submit your paper proposals by 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, August 1, 2022.

An individual may appear only once in the program in any role, including as chair, commenter, or presenter.

Accepted presenters will be contacted on Thursday, September 1, 2022. All participants must be or become members of ABWH before conference registration opens. (The ABWH membership year runs October 1 to September 30.) Registration will begin on September 15, 2022. Presenters and attendees must confirm and pay symposium registration on or before October 15, 2022. Travel stipends to help defray costs will be available for graduate students whose papers are accepted. Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, registration for the conference will be limited so you are encouraged to register early.

Symposium Information

For updated conference details, 

please visit:  https://sites.google.com/abwh.org/2022symposium/home

and follow ABWH’s Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter (hashtags #ABWH2022and #ABWHMaking History). 

2022 ABWH Symposium Program Chairs:

Charisse Burden-Stelly, National Parliamentarian

Sheena Y. Harris, National Membership Director