Panel discusses history of Oklahoma women’s activism

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Media Contact: Bonnie Cain-Wood | Manager, Library Communications | 405-744-7331 | lib-pub@okstate.edu

The Center for Oklahoma Studies will host a virtual book talk for “This Land is Herland” on Sept. 15 at 3 p.m. 

The talk will be held on Zoom and will feature the co-editors of the newly released book, Patricia Loughlin and Sarah Janda. Three authors who contributed chapters to the book will also participate in the panel. This event is free and open to the public, but participants must register for the webinar. Registration information can be found at bit.ly/ThisLandIsHerland.

“This Land is Herland: Gendered Activism in Oklahoma from the 1870s to the 2010s” focuses on the role women have played in changing their communities through political activism. The book features 13 scholars of Oklahoma history writing about 13 women activists from the territorial period to the present. It documents the lives of a diverse array of historical figures who made impacts at local, state and national levels. 

“The history of Oklahoma has been influenced by a variety of groups and individuals over the years, but one of the things we have recognized for some time now is that the stories of women are not equally represented in how we’ve traditionally viewed that history,” said Mary Larson, associate dean for Special Collections and co-director of the Center for Oklahoma Studies. “By looking at women who were both historical actors and activists, this book brings more balance to our state’s story and provides a more holistic view of how we’ve evolved.”

The book talk is sponsored by the Center for Oklahoma Studies. The COS serves as a gathering place for Oklahoma State University scholars and others whose work focuses on the 46th state, promoting activities that identify, examine and disseminate aspects of the state’s richly textured, multicultural past that impact the state’s present and influence its future. 

For more information about this event, visit cos.library.okstate.edu or call 405-744-6588.

Story By: Lauren Whitmire | lib-pub@okstate.edu