50 Years of Meeting the Moment
February 27th – 28th — 2026 — New York City
The Barnard Center for Research on Women will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its historic, field-defining conference, The Scholar and Feminist.
Since 1971, BCRW has hosted The Scholar and Feminist almost annually, bringing together thousands of scholars, students, activists, and artists to confront the most pressing issues of their time. Defining scholarship as inseparable from activism from its inception, the conference has made visible the struggles, provocations, and creative antagonisms that have both defined and unsettled our field. From the feminist sex wars of the 1980s to landmark conversations on reproductive justice, transnational feminisms, and abolition, the conference has consistently “met the moment” with intersectional feminist knowledge and action.
This year’s gathering, “Fifty Years of Meeting the Moment,” will take place on February 27 – 28, 2026, and will feature keynote speaker Judith Butler and a performance by Toshi Reagon. The conference will celebrate BCRW’s historic role in advancing intersectional social justice feminism while activating that legacy to meet today’s challenges — from authoritarianism and censorship to attacks on queer and trans lives, reproductive justice, and higher education.
At a time when feminist scholarship and activism are under threat, BCRW’s commitment to intersectional feminist knowledge production is more important than ever. The Scholar and Feminist has always been a space where legacies of resistance and imagination meet the urgency of the present, and this year’s anniversary conference invites us to carry that work forward into the future. We hope you’ll join BCRW in February to continue this vital work together.
