Research

Gloria Steinem once called the 1977 National Women’s Conference “the most important event nobody knows about.” My dissertation wrestles with this statement on two fronts: first, how important was this moment and second, why don't we remember it? The federally funded conference provided women from all over the country the chance to engage in national politics and put forth a progressive agenda for women’s rights. For many attendees, the conference was a life-altering event, the kind of thing someone marks as a fulcrum in their personal journey. Despite this individual significance and massive news coverage, the event barely registers in the national memory. My research takes stock of the personal and political legacies that grew out of the National Women’s Conference and situates them within the lens of public memory. By combining archival sources, oral history, and media analysis, I explore how the conference was framed in 1977 and how that framing influenced its long-term public perception. I also dive into the politics of memory to explain why the conference, often labeled as a massive consciousness-raising event, did not sear itself into the national collective consciousness.