In May 2022, the Department of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies hosted an extraordinary two-day event titled, "Plurifeminisms Across Abya Yala." Co-convened by Professors Michelle Habell-Pallán and Cricket Keating, the symposium brought together feminist scholars, activists, and artists from across North and South America for hybrid panel discussions, music performances, student poster presentations, and student ofrendas.
Using simultaneous translation in Spanish and English, the live discussion format focused on the Indigenous, Black, Chicanx, queer, and feminist communities in Ecuador, Colombia, and beyond. "Plurifeminisms" created a space for critical engagement with issues of gender, race, and social justice in the Americas by “[delving] into the issues that have been taken up over the past two decades, including indigenous sovereignty, democracy, plurinationalism, anti-extractivism, violence, sexuality, reproductive rights, and the relationship between music, art, curatorial practice, and activism."
In a retrospective video filmed by the Simpson Center for Humanities, Michelle Habell-Pallán reflected on the symposium and its potential impact on public scholarship. The video features the live music performance by Gabriela Cano, also known as Black Mama, along with insightful quotes from symposium participants, providing an overview of the engaging and informative two-day event. As the video highlights, the symposium provided a space for critical engagement with issues of gender, race, and social justice in the Americas. Watch it now.