October 20th
12PM
Lewis-Latimer Room, The Faculty Club
Presented by Michael Helquist, public historian
Public historian Michael Helquist argues that we lose an essential part of our history and a deeper sense of who we are by not knowing the life stories of marginalized people. He includes in that group women, racial minorities, working class and poor people, immigrants, political radicals and LGBTQ people. His talk will feature an early woman physician and political radical, Marie Equi, who is little known, although she was one of the most prominent activists on the West Coast in the WWI era, a heroine after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and one of the first publicly known lesbians on the West Coast. Mr. Helquist will consider why her full story had not been told and will recount his discovery of troves of primary sources. He will present images of Dr. Equi and her life, from working in a textile mill to doing time in San Quentin. His biography, Marie Equi: Radical Politics and Outlaw Passions, published by Oregon State University Press in 2015, was named a 2016 Stonewall Honor Book for Nonfiction by the American Library Association.
The Library attempts to offer programs in accessible, barrier-free settings. If you think you may require disability-related accommodations, please contact the event sponsor prior to the event. The event sponsor is Kathryn Neal, (510) 642-8173.
Post contributed by Kathryn Neal, Associate University Archivist, The Bancroft Library