Committee seeks proposals for Second Annual Inland Empire History Conference

The organizing committee for the annual Inland Empire (IE) People’s History Conference is currently seeking proposals for its second annual conference, which will take place on May 3 on the campus of California State University, San Bernardino.

Scholars, students, and community members from across the IE and beyond are invited to submit proposals. All subjects and academic disciplines are eligible to participate. Proposals may be submitted online at the I.E. People’s History Call for Abstracts 2025 webpage.

The IE People’s History Conference seeks to bridge university research, creative activities, and community activism to explore the art, culture, and histories of Inland Southern California, known as the Inland Empire or IE.

Describing the initiative, José Muñoz, professor of sociology at CSUSB and co-organizer of the conference, said, “We want the conference to bring together people doing a variety of research, analysis, and creative work on the IE.”

He continued, “We welcome traditional academic research, but we also want to include college students, K-12 educators, artists, poets, scientists, community activists, practitioners, independent researchers, and other members of the community.”

The mission of the IE People’s History Conference is to identify, document, and disseminate the diverse stories of the IE. This includes all historically marginalized groups such as Indigenous peoples, African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos/as/e/x, religious minorities, working class groups, immigrant populations, LGBTQ+ communities, and more.

Maintaining a “history-from-below” perspective, the conference aims to document inequality and resistance, in the past and present. Content that explores the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, ethnic identity, religion, nationality, disability, and other major socio-political identities are welcomed.

“This conference works to challenge common assumptions, and tendencies in scholarship, that overlook the Inland Empire. Often, Los Angeles and Orange County are studied and celebrated, but the IE also deserves attention for its unique history and contemporary characteristics. The IE is more than merely an extension of LA, and it deserves the attention of writers, researchers, and creatives,” said Marc Arsell Robinson, associate professor of history and conference co-organizer.

The Inland Empire is socially and economically significant. It includes all of San Bernardino County and Riverside County, constituting over 27,000 square miles. It is one of the most ethnically diverse parts of the United States. Home to more than 4.6 million residents, the IE accounts for approximately 12% of California’s total population, and is the 12th largest metropolitan area in the United States.

The IE includes several Native reservations, and in many metro area neighborhoods over 80% of the residents are people of color.

Historically, the IE was pivotal in the U.S. citrus and railroad industries, while currently it is a major hub of global shipping and logistics. The region also faces current challenges around air quality, poverty, homelessness, labor organizing, economic development, and more. Thus, research on the IE is as timely and important as ever.

To coordinate the conference, Muñoz and Robinson are collaborating with the CSUSB Libraries, and with several off-campus partners at the University of Redlands, University of California, Riverside, University of California, Irvine, University of Southern California, and Brown University.

Last year, the first IE People’s History Conference was held at CSUSB on June 1. It was a successful event, attracting 125-150 attendees and garnering media coverage from KVCR News. The next conference will continue and expand this important research and community engagement.

For more information, visit A People’s History of the I.E. website.