Karen Bojar

Dr. Karen Bojar is Professor Emerita of English and Women’s Studies at the Community College of Philadelphia. She also has a long history as a feminist activist and served as President of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Organization for Women from 2001-2009. She continues to be involved in Philadelphia NOW and in Philadelphia politics and was recently appointed to the Mayor’s Commission for Women. She has written numerous articles on feminist activism as well Teaching Feminist Activism co-edited with Nancy Naples (Routledge, 2002) and recently published, Feminism in Philadelphia: The Glory Years, 1968-1982 which interweaves the history of feminism in Philadelphia with the broad themes and trajectory of the “second wave” feminist movement. The feminist movement of the late 1960’s and 70’s is largely remembered in terms of national leaders such as Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, and Eleanor Smeal, but it would never have changed so many hearts and minds, would never have transformed our society without the efforts of so many women in local communities working tirelessly for gender justice. Karen Bojar’s analysis of grassroots electoral politics, Green Shoots of Democracy, within the Philadelphia Democratic Party was published in June 2016. After spending several years documenting progressive movements/ organizations in Philadelphia, she is returning to her first love, literature, and in July 2018 her book In Search of Elena Ferrante was released by Mcfarland Publishers. See https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenbojar