Blacks in Boston Conference: “Combahee River Collective:  Race, Space, and Feminist Activism”

African & African Diaspora Studies Program (AADS), Boston College
Saturday, 14 March 2026

“Blacks in Boston” is a series of conferences conceived of by former Boston College Black Studies Director Amanda V. Houston. Previous conferences have addressed subjects such as blacks in metropolitan Boston, the struggle for equal education, the relationships between Irish and black Bostonians, the role of immigrants of African descent in the development, and evolution of Boston’s black communities, and black Bostonians and the media.

The 2026 conference will focus on the Combahee River Collective (CRC) in the context of Boston, MA and activism in the Northeast. The Collective, active in Boston from 1974 to 1980, has become an international symbol of Black feminist theory and praxis. The Collective’s international influence is undeniable, yet this renown has largely overwhelmed its Boston origins. This conference aims to return the Collective to its geographical and liberatory roots.  Conference organizers encourage submissions on all topics relating to the CRC, including but not limited to the following themes:

• The local and global impact of the Combahee River Collective

• CRC and visual and popular cultures

• CRC’s continued influence on contemporary Black feminist theory

• CRC, Gender, Race and Policing

• CRC and the formation of intersectional coalitions

• Community organizing

• Interpersonal violence

• Gender, sexuality, and activism

The conference organizers encourage submissions from scholars (graduate students are welcome), journalists, community activists, and others. 

All submissions must include:

1) paper abstract (not to exceed 250 words)

2) C.V. or resume that includes preferred email address and phone number.

All proposal materials must be submitted by Nov 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time via https://apply.interfolio.com/170158

Please direct any questions to aads@bc.edu or (617) 552-3238