Speaker: Jana Lipman, Department of History, Tulane University

Abstract: »In 1983, four men brutally, and publicly, raped a woman in a New Bedford, Massachusetts bar, in what became known as the “Big Dan’s rape case.” This case became a salacious and disturbing media story in the early 1980s, and ultimately even a Hollywood film (The Accused). Most scholars have approached this case because of the unprecedented live televised court proceedings; it is thus a landmark case in media history. In contrast, this paper investigates local women’s activism, using sources from regional media outlets and archives. The paper mines the extensive local media coverage of this event and the records of the New Bedford Women’s Center. First, it will explore the role of the New Bedford Women’s Center, which became a hub for feminist-identified women in a largely working-class community. Second, the paper considers how women identified with the Portuguese American community became prominent leaders in defense of the accused men. The efforts of both sets of women illustrate how class, gender, and migration status could raise in salience, be elided, or be emphasized in a high-profile case of sexual trauma.« (Source: Online Program)

Wikipedia: History of the Americas: History of the United States | Sex and the law: Gang rape / Cheryl Araujo, Gang rape in the United States