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You are here: Home / Big Berks / 2023 Big Berks

2023 Big Berks

Berkshire Conference on the History of Women, Genders and Sexualities

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Big Berks!

28 June – 2 July 2023, Santa Clara University, California

We are Muwekma Ohlone ~ We Are Still Here > 2023 Berkshire Conference of Women Historians Conference

Home | Welcome | About | Program | Book Videos | Sponsors | Exhibitor Ads | Registration | FAQ

Land Acknowledgement

Native people have lived in what is today Santa Clara since time immemorial, a region that was known locally as Thámien. Beginning in the 1770s, the residents of Thámien were forced into the missions, along with many of their Ohlone neighbors and, later, Yokuts and Miwok families from the Central Valley. Today, Santa Clara and the surrounding region remains home to a thriving Native community, including Tamien Nation, several Ohlone groups associated with specific ancestral territories, as well as the surviving lineages from Missions Santa Clara, San Jose, and San Francisco who are today organized as the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. The Berkshire Conference remembers their connection to this region and gives thanks for the opportunity to meet, celebrate, and learn on their traditional homeland.

Conference Theme

Oceans, Islands, and Continents:
Reconceptualizing the Spatialization of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Histories

What does it mean to gather on the Ohlone peoples’ ancestral homeland, situated next to the San Francisco Bay, a gateway to the Pacific Ocean and Pacific Islands?
What does it mean to convene, craft, share, and celebrate feminist histories in the ongoing contexts of climate change-fueled hurricanes and storm surges, sea level rise and coastal flooding, fires, and marine life extinction?
What does it mean to celebrate fifty years of promoting and exploring histories of women, genders, and sexualities when immigrants, refugees, Indigenous and Black people, queer and trans communities are marginalized and subject to violence; political and individual freedoms are eroded; and growing autocratic and totalitarian regimes embolden racial nationalism?

Conference FAQ
Need info on how to get from the airport to the university? Where and how to check in if you’re staying in a dorm? How to register? How to get around campus? Please visit FAQ > for this info and more!

If you have questions about the conference, please contact Sandra Trudgen Dawson, execadmin@berksconference.org

In Memoriam: Sandra Trudgen Dawson

Sandra Trudgen Dawson, historian of modern Britain, popular culture, medicine and women's health, a mother, a wife, and the executive administrator of the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians passed away suddenly on May 18, 2024. A dear friend and lifeline to four cycles of the officers of the organization, Sandra is deeply missed as a colleague and friend to many Berks members. We invite you to share your memories and photos of Sandra as a member and key figure in the Berkshire Conference, as a teacher, a scholar and a friend. To share your … Read More >>

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Prizes

Two Women Fencing,. ca. 1885

The Berkshire Conference of Women Historians awards two annual book and article prizes in the following categories: A first book that deals substantially with the history of women, gender, and/or sexuality. A first book in any field of history that does not focus on the history of women, gender, and/or sexuality. … Read More »

History

Group of women historians, early 20th century

The Berkshire Conference of Women Historians was founded in 1930 by Louise Fargo Brown of Vassar College and Louise Ropes Loomis of Wells College. Initially called the Lakeville History Group, after the Connecticut retreat where early meetings were held, the organization became the Berkshire Conference to reflect its new … Read More »

Contact Us

Berkshire Conference of Women Historians logo

The Berkshire Conference is a member-driven organization, which means that we are eager to hear from you. Have ideas about how the website would work better for you? Let us know! Our Executive Director will get back to you within two weeks, even just to let you know how we plan to follow up. In … Read More >>

Join Us

Suzanne Lacey, Between the Door and the Street, 2013. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) Forms part of: The Brooklyn Museum (Brooklyn Museum)

Become a Member The Berkshire Conference of Women Historians is a vital network of scholars that welcomes all women in the historical profession. We offer two kinds of events: our triennial … Read More »

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