The University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC) Center for Digital and Public Humanities and the Kansas City Public Library (KCPL) request proposals for articles examining myriad social justice movements in Kansas City from the post-World War II era to the end of the 20th century.
Proposals for this multi-faceted partnership will be considered for inclusion as articles/chapters in one or both of the following outcomes:
• An edited volume published by a university press
• A digital project that combines scholarship with archival sources, oral histories, biographies, and other relevant documents.
Selected contributors for the edited volume will be required to attend a conference to workshop their papers in April 2026 and will present at a three-day public symposium in November 2026. (We will provide travel expenses for both the workshop and symposium). Selected website contributors will also be invited (optionally) to present their work at the public symposium. These efforts seek to encourage new research on understudied topics, bring this scholarship to larger public audiences, and facilitate community discussions about activism and civil rights.
Suggested Themes and Topics
We welcome proposals that contextualize the methods and strategies of Kansas City’s social justice movements within national narratives and themes. Research topics should encompass political activism and community uplift on behalf of historically marginalized communities, including but not limited to women, Black Americans, Latinxs, LGBTQIA+ persons, working-class communities, or people with disabilities. How did diverse Kansas Citians challenge the status quo throughout the late-20th century? How is the Kansas City experience unique (or representative) when compared to social justice movements in the Midwest and nationwide?
The symposium welcomes submissions from:
● Scholars, Researchers, Public Historians, Authors, Community Members, Kansas City Activists and/or their Descendants, Students, Artists and Creative Writers
Submission Details:
● Deadline: June 15, 2025
● Format: A one-page abstract (500 words single-spaced) with working title; brief C.V. or resume.
● Honoraria will be provided for contributors to both the website and volume. We will offset travel expenses to the workshop and symposium for those involved in the volume project.
● Contact/submission instructions: Please address proposals and inquiries to:
kcmc@umkc.edu. Be sure to put An Era of Rights in the subject.
The edited volume and digital project are supported by the Kansas City Monuments Coalition (KCMC), an effort funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Monuments program.