|
Greetings from Sydney, Australia, where Meridians participated in an important three-day symposium that brought together leaders in the movement to decolonize museums and Museum Studies. I was joined there in person by Laura Barberán Reinares, Sabra Thorner, and Fran Edmonds; Eunah Lee, Kelli Moore, and claudia* sandoval romero participated virtually. Ours was the only presentation to offer an explicitly intersectional feminist intervention and we brilliantly showcased our history of publishing critical innovative analyses of art, public history, and themed museology.
Back on campus, the Meridians team of staff and students launched the fall 2026 semester with open houses, participation at community events, collaborating with our alumnae supporters, and more. Read on for updates and information about exciting new opportunities to join our Meridians team as Associate Editors, staff members, and donors!
| | |
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
Meridians has been contributing to Latin@ Studies since our first issue in 2000. Check out all the articles in our Latin@ Studies Content Sheet.
| |
-
Alumnae support campaign on behalf of our Endowment
-
Meridians author Itoro Bassey '09 New Collection & Prestigious Fellowship
-
Three Meridians authors win prestigious American Studies Association Awards
- Congratulations FCWSRC on their new home!
-
Meridians Bookshop features new works by our authors
- Black Feminist Studies Masters Degree Program
| | |
Now Accepting Applications for an
Administrative Assistant & Editorial Coordinator
| We are accepting applications for the Adminsitrative Assistant/Editorial Coordinator position until October 5. Do you have 2+ years of experience in publishing or academia and a background in WGSS, Race & Ethnicity or Cultural Studies? Do you want to meaningfully transform higher education while providing a platform for the voices of Women of Color? Consider applying for this role and joining the Meridians team! | | | |
Meridians will be accepting applications for Associate Editors from October 15 - December 31, 2026. We are looking for five Associate Editors with specialties in: 1) Transnational & Global Feminisms; 2) Race, Ethnicity, Racialization, Diaspora & Migration; 3) Arts, Cultural Production, and Pedagogy; 4) Politics and Social Movements; and 5) Creative Writing. Associate Editors will work approximately 3 hours per week and be appointed for 3 year terms.
Associate Editors will support the peer review process, help shape editorial direction, and advance global transnational intersectional feminist knowledge production that centers race, gender, sexuality, class, and geopolitics.
| | |
The Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award will be accepting submissions from October 15 through December 31, 2026!
The Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award (EACWA) celebrates an author whose work embodies the lyrically powerful and historically engaged nature of Dr. Alexander’s writing. We aim for this award to highlight different forms of knowledge production that emerge from the artistic, political, and cultural advocacy undertaken by women of color nationally, transnationally, and globally.
The award is open to all genres, including: poetry, fiction, play scripts, and creative non-fiction. Works engaging with feminism, race, and transnationalism will be prioritized.
Further details:
- Only one contest submission per author accepted;
- Translated works and manuscripts in languages other than English are encouraged as well;
- Only previously unpublished work will be considered;
- Simultaneous submissions will not be considered.
| | | | Sign Up to be a Peer Reviewer | Would you like to participate in the Meridians project? Are you an expert in global feminisms, women's studies, or gender studies? Consider applying to be a peer reviewer for the journal. We will only ask you to review one article per year while sharing new and exciting research. | | |
Fall 2026 (vol. 25, no. 2)
forthcoming in October
| |
Meridians next issue, Volume 25.2 (Fall 2026), is only a month away from being available to the public! We are truly excited to showcase the phenomenal work that Volume 25.2 Fall 2026 has to offer, including:
- "Queer Muslim Environmental Futurism(s): An Analysis of Saba Taj's 'there are gardens at the margins'" by Maya Ghanem
- “I Don’t Have to Be So Caged Up”: An Exploration of the Relationships Between Dance, Restorative Mirroring, and Black Women’s Embodied Freedom" by Stephanie D. Sears
- "Navigating Racism, Sexism, and Classism in Health Activism: The National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs Department of Health and Hygiene,1895–1929" by Madina Agénor
- "Community Engaged Research and the Legacy of bell hooks" by Shelby Pumphrey, CK Snyder, Hilaria Cruz, Kathryn E. Marklein, Luz Huntington-Moskos, and Catron Booker.
| | | | |
PJGA Honorable Mention Winner to Speak at Smith College
As part of winning the 2026 Honorable Mention for the Paula J. Giddings Best Article Award, Dr. Andreia Silva dos Santos will receive her award at the NWSA conference. In early November, Dr. Silva dos Santos will fly from Brazil to Smith College to visit classes and Meridians before heading to the conference in Atlanta, GA.
| | | |
Editor Ginetta E.B. Candelario '90 was the facilitator and presenter of "The Meridians Project Approach to Museum Studies" panel at the Inclusive Museum Conference in Sydney, Australia, from September 22-24, 2026.
With eight Meridians authors, this panel explores critical museum interventions rooted in intersectional feminist theories. This panel specifically features the authors of the following articles:
- "The Making is the Story: Sovereignty, Sharing, and the Seven Sisters Cloak" from vol. 24.1 by Sabra Thorner PhD, Fran Edmonds PhD, Kerri Clarke, Maree Clarke;
- "Strategies of Visibilization Searching for Contact Zones between the Periphery and Center in mumok’s Exhibitions, 1998–2018" from vol. 22.1 by claudia* sandoval romero;
- "In the Name of Awareness: Audience, Venue, and the Politics of Witnessing Human Rights Violations" from Vol. 24.2, by Eunah Lee, PhD, and Laura Barberán Reinares, PhD and;
- "Techniques of Abstraction in Black Arts: A Feminist Review Essay" from vol. 21.2 by Kelli Moore, PhD.
| | Professor and Editor Ginetta E.B. Candelario '90 | L to R: Prof. Sabra Thorner, Prof. Fran Edmonds, Prof. Ginetta E.B. Candelario '90, and Prof. Laura Barberán Reinares | Prof. Sabra Thorner and Prof. Fran Edmonds | |
2026-2027 Student Intern
Team Starts Work
| Clockwise from top left: Ava Lansbury '27, Harper Ragle '30, Dayanara Saavedra '28, Brianna Rosa '27, Eliot Kelly-Leftwich '30, and Sadri Mohamed '28 | We are thrilled to welcome our newest student intern cohort to Meridians! Bringing a diverse mix of backgrounds, majors, and class years, this bright cohort are already diving into projects and making a measurable impact for The Meridians Project. | | STRIDE Student Reception at Smith College, September 16th | L to R: Charlotte Panofsky '30, Eliot Kelly-Leftwich '30, and Zoë Flam '30 | This year, Meridians is proud to have two STRIDE student interns, Harper Ragle '30 and Eliot Kelly-Leftwich '30. The STRIDE program offers first-year students a scholarship that includes a paid research position. A welcome reception for the STRIDE students was held and Eliot gathered with fellow STRIDE students. | |
Welcome Bridge Students, September 1st
We were thrilled to welcome twenty-six first year Bridge students to the Meridians offices on September 1st. We were happy to share the history of Meridians, its relationship to Smith College, what we publish, and how to get involved. Welcome class of 2030!
| L to R: Aubrey Bing '30, AAEC Joy Houlder, Zauditu Saunders '30. | |  | Professor Katie Duarte and Administrative Manager Leanna Oen | Smith College's Annual Celebration of Faculty Scholarship, September 14th | It was an honor for Meridians to be included in Smith College's annual Celebration of Faculty Scholarship. Editor Ginetta E.B. Candelario was represented by Vol. 24 No. 2 (fall 2025) and Vol. 25 No. 1 (spring 2026). Administrative Manager Leanna Oen was able to connect with friend of Meridians Professor Katie Duarte. Congratulations faculty! | | |
Alumnae supports campaign on behalf of our Endowment
Meridians is grateful to alumnae Caren Byrd Borland '68 and Betsey McGee '68 for their dedication to spreading the word about the Meridians Endowment. Curious to learn about the impact of our endowment? Explore our recent webinar presentation with Caren and Betsey to learn more.
| | Caren Byrd Borland '68 & Betsey McGee '68 | | | |
Meridians author Itoro Bassey '09 New Collection & Prestigious Fellowship
Meridians author Itoro Bassey '09 has been named as one of ten Poets & Writers Get the Word Out fellows. This prestigious program is a publicity incubator for early-career authors and offers a mentorship with a book publicist.
It's an important season for Itoro Bassey as her new book, Ajébutter Women, is available for pre-order through Regal House Publishing. "Ajébutter" is a Yoruba word that means "one who eats butter," meaning someone who was raised in comfort and privilege.
Ajébutter Women is scheduled to be published in April 2027 and preorders are now available!
| | | Professor and Director Li Cornfeld and Administrative Manager Leanna Oen | |
Five College Women's Studies Research Center Open House, September 23rd
The Five College Women's Studies Research Center (FCWSRC) has recently moved from Hampshire College to its new home at Mt. Holyoke College. Administrative Manager Leanna Oen met up with FCWSRC Director Dr. Li Cornfeld at their open house and reception to hear about the move and to celebrate the new space.
| |
Black Feminist Studies Masters Degree Program
The University of California, Santa Barbara’s Department of Feminist Studies, in collaboration with the Department of Black Studies, has just announced the launch of the terminal Black Feminist Studies M.A. program.
This two-year program is currently accepting applications from interested students and applications will close on December 1, 2026.
This two-year program invites students to engage in interdisciplinary approaches to Black feminist scholarship. This program also includes opportunities to engage with community organizations to gain hands-on experience.
| | | | |
