This panel seeks to examine historical and contemporary iterations of feminist and queer coalition building, focusing on the capacities and frailties of political work to build community and power across time and space. Topics of interest include social movement memory and archives as political tools, intersections of academic and activist feminisms and queer politics, the incorporation and institutionalization of grassroots politics, and neocolonial discourses and practices within American feminist and queer projects globally. Drawing on the conference theme, the panel invites papers which examine grounded knowledge production from a variety of perspectives. This includes, but of course is not limited to, critical assessments of the dynamics of extraction and consequences of ungrounded and asymmetrical political engagements. At the same time, we welcome explorations of reciprocal and solidaristic community building which aim to unravel the complexities and possibilities inherent in forging sustainable connections.

We are seeking collaborators from across academic institutions and positions who are interested in similar questions and themes, and look forward to molding the panel around our collective interests. Please reach out to Molly Henderson at mollyhenderson@gwu.edu with the subject line “ASA Panel” if interested by 1/29!

The 2024 American Studies Association Conference will take place in Baltimore, MD from November 14-17, 2024.