2020 Black New England Conference

#BNEC2020

"Above all else, our politics initially sprang from the shared belief that Black women are inherently valuable, that our liberation is a necessity not as an adjunct to somebody else’s … because of our need as human persons for autonomy." - from the Combahee River Collective Statement, 1977

Conference Registration

We want to ensure that this conference is available to all who are interested in attending. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we are able to reduce the registration fee and offer a number of complimentary tickets and student scholarships to attendees. Additionally, the Friday Evening Keynote Address with Susan Taylor is now free to the public. Please inquire at info@box2307.temp.domains or call 603-570-8469 for more information. See fees below. 

The 14th Black New England Conference will celebrate, examine, and make visible Black women’s leadership and activism in fights for political and social change. Panelists will discuss Black women’s leadership and activism in a variety of social and political arenas—the classroom, the courtroom, business and economics, technology, the environment, the arts, religion, government, and others. As artists and activists, politicians, and pundits, Black women continue to stand on the front line and lead the charge for social and political change. From Sojourner Truth calling for the abolition of slavery and for women’s rights to Tarana Burke coining “Me Too” in 2006, Black women have played a vital role in the political and social (re)formation of the United States, even as their leadership and activism have often been eclipsed and erased.

The Black New England Conference, now in its 14th year, is an annual 2-day gathering where academics, artists, activists, and community members share insights and research on Black experiences, past and present, in New England and beyond. The Conference is both an academic conference and a celebration of Black life and history.