Women Who Said 'Yes': Old and New Methods in Black Feminist History

This talk will focus on the methodological contributions of Owens' first book project, Fantasies of Consent, which historicizes the sex trade as it dovetailed with sexual violence during antebellum slavery. Owens will engage with classic black feminist historiographic reading practices, and offer insights both into new ways to read classic sources, and also use those practices to introduce new source material into the conversation about sex and slavery.

Emily A. Owens (Ph.D. Harvard University) is Assistant Professor of History at Brown University, and works on the history of sexuality and slavery. Owens has received support from from the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Charles Warren Center for American History, and the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice.