White Professor Disgusts Women Historians’ Conference
A conference for female historians this weekend was plunged into turmoil when a prominent white academic speaking at the main event said her professional life would have been easier if she were Black.
She was identified by attendees of the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians, on social media and in an interview, as USC professor emerita of History Lois Banner, who co-founded the biennial event in the 1970s.
Banner—author of a 2012 biography of Marilyn Monroe—reportedly also said she wished she was a lesbian because they were good at building community and organizing. She did not respond to a request for comment.