Lecture on Black women's civil rights activism May 8
Quin'Nita Cobbins-Modica will deliver a talk titled "'We Are Also in Bondage Here': Black Women's Civil Rights Activism in Seattle" in Fraser 201 at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 8. This is the second talk in the Women of Color in Pacific Northwest History Lecture Series sponsored by History, WGSS, CHSS, and over a dozen other campus partners.
The dominant narrative about Washington state is that it鈥檚 an 鈥渆xceptional鈥 place rather than a microcosm of the larger U.S. society. How do Black women鈥檚 stories challenge this understanding? What are the long-standing systemic inequalities in the state? When the 1960s ushered in a wave of political ferment in Washington state, Black women were the driving force behind civil rights campaigns to dismantle statewide racial segregation and discriminatory practices. This talk examines their collective leadership efforts and activist work, which resulted in significant legislative changes and profoundly impacted the state鈥檚 residents. By centering Black women鈥檚 experiences and sacrifices, we can learn valuable lessons about the past and its relevance to ongoing contemporary social and political issues.
is an assistant professor in the History Department at University of California, Santa Cruz. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Washington, where she received the UW Distinguished Dissertation Award. She's also the recipient of the Washington State Historical Society John McLendon Jr. Award for best article and is a frequent contributor to Blackpast.org.
For accommodations to attend the lecture, contact Josh Cerretti at cerretj@wwu.edu.