A four-day event honoring the career of Deborah E. McDowell, "Love, All": Tending the Tradition celebrates McDowell's intellectual production, trailblazing leadership, and groundbreaking contributions to the field of African American literary studies and Black feminism as a scholar, editor, mentor, colleague, and friend. This conference gathers scholars across fields and generations to share papers focused on the vast impact of Deborah McDowell's work and legacy. 

To steward a Black literary, intellectual, and feminist tradition, as Deborah E. McDowell has done so carefully, is to practice a salvaged love—not as sentimentality but as a mode of attention and form of ethical engagement that refuses erasure, embraces complexity without resolution, and tends to the wounded archives and living textures of Black life with an ethic of care that is at once rigorous, insurgent, and tender; and in return, such stewardship is to be held in a reciprocal embrace by those who recognize, across time and struggle, the quiet, radical devotion of a life spent loving this tradition into continued existence. That recognition and love are felt from all corners (Love, All).

Register:

‌All conference events are free and open to the public. We ask that guests register by May 8, 2026. If you plan to attend the conference from out of town, we urge guests to make travel arrangements and book lodging as early as possible due to a concurrent major event in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

Register now

All conference proceedings will be livestreamed via Zoom. Register for the Zoom webinar. 

Attend:

Shuttle service from conference hotels:

There will be a shuttle service to/from both hotels leaving in the morning (approximately 7:30 AM from Hilton DoubleTree and 8:10 AM from Courtyard Marriott) and evening following conference proceedings (approximately 30-minutes following the last scheduled event). Exact times will be confirmed by May 15. 

Thursday, May 21

Shuttles to UVA Grounds: DoubleTree Hotel: 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM, and 4:00 PM; Courtyard Marriott: 12:30 PM; 2:30 PM, and 4:30 PM

Return shuttle at 7:30 PM

Friday, May 22

Shuttles to UVA Grounds: DoubleTree Hotel: 7:45 AM; Courtyard Marriott: 8:15 AM

Return shuttle at 5:00 PM

Saturday, May 23

Shuttles to UVA Grounds: DoubleTree Hotel: 7:45 AM; Courtyard Marriott: 8:15 AM

Return shuttle at 7:30 PM

Drop off/Pick-up location for UVA Grounds Shuttle: Garrett Hall Bus Stop

Sunday, May 24

Shuttles to Boar’s Head Inn: DoubleTree Hotel: 9:00 AM; Courtyard Marriott: 9:30 AM

Return shuttle: 2:30 PM*

*if departing Charlottesville on May 24, be sure to review your departure/flight plans to determine whether you need to hold luggage at hotel following check-out or bring luggage with you to the brunch at Boar’s Head Inn. Due to varying travel itineraries, there is no conference-provided airport shuttle. As such, guests should expect to find their own way to/from the airport. 

Ride share and Taxi:

Addresses on UVA Grounds can be confusing for ride-share drivers, please use the following address for Minor Hall: 

102 Amphitheater Way Suite 108, Charlottesville, VA 22903 

Guests may also consider booking a taxi with the Woodson's preferred Taxi driver, Melvin Carter, Jr. at (434) 996-2222. 

Parking:

Guests may park in the C1 parking lot on UVA grounds. A special permit is not required to park, as the lot is booked for the entire event.

Handicap parking - guests who require handicap parking may park in any and all designated handicap spots, so long as they have the necessary handicap parking tags. The best spots will be in front of Garrett Hall and/or Monroe Hall.  

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Map for on Grounds activities for parking (C1), Minor Hall, and Colonnade Club (handicap accessibility noted in blue)

Additional details:

Gender neutral bathrooms are available during the conference. At the Colonnade Club, overflow bathrooms and gender neutral bathrooms are located downstairs.  

Please be advised that as there are no gender neutral bathrooms in the Pavilion building of the Boar's Head Inn, guests can use the family restrooms in the building across from the Pavilion near the Ballroom event space. 

Quiet Rooms: we will designate a number of quiet rooms for guests who would like to rest and recharge during the conference. These will be in the Woodson main office, Minor 108.

Note: there are no official conference activities scheduled for the evening of Friday, May 22 to allow for guests to make their own plans. Because of a concurrent major event in Charlottesville, we urge guests to make reservations early. Attendees may choose to gather at some of the Woodson Institute's recommended restaurants (see below), or check out a more comprehensive guide to Charlottesville for guests. 

• Orzo - Industrial-chic spot serving area-sourced Mediterranean fare plus wines in the Main Street Market.
• Maya - Locally sourced Southern fare & imaginative cocktails offered in a refined exposed-brick setting.
• Hamilton - New American dining & full bar plus an extensive wine list in a sophisticated yet casual setting.
• C&O - Celebrated country French fare & a deep wine list in a serene setting amid brick walls & barn wood.
• Bang! - Cozy house with stylish decor & backlit bar preparing Asian-inspired tapas & inventive martinis.
• Smyrna - Creative and authentic Mediterranean-Aegean dishes in a casual upscale atmosphere. 
• Botanical Fare - Vegan food and coffee shop, serving up sandwiches and salads and other treats for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Contribute

Financial Contributions

We are accepting co-sponsorships from UVA offices, Departments and external organizations to support this event. All co-sponsors will be listed in the program and on the conference website. Platinum and Gold sponsors will have the space for more prominent advertising during the programming. Please write to mcdowell2026@virginia.edu to inquire about co-sponsorship opportunities. 

If you would like to make a personal contribution or gift in recognition of this luminary figure, individuals are welcome to donate to the Woodson Institute in honor of Deborah E. McDowell. To contribute, please use the GiveCampus donation link and write "McDowell 2026" in the memo line.

Non-monetary contributions

There are numerous ways to contribute to this event. We invite you to consider the following ways to help honor Deborah McDowell's distinguished career:

1. Submit an abstract to present at the conference.
2. Serve as a volunteer to help with logistical matters during the conference. To volunteer, email mcdowell2026@virginia.edu 
3. Share a memory for a "memory book" to be shared with Professor McDowell during the conference. Memories can take the form of a short written note, a photo with accompanying caption, a short pre-recorded video or voice note, or a excerpt from a poem or novel or other text. Please upload your submissions onto the event's media submission box. Email mcdowell2026@virginia.edu with any questions. 
4. Help to advertise by sharing the event via your personal and professional networks. 

Quick Links

• Registration
• Schedule
• Presenters
• Panel Descriptions
• Sponsors
• Media Submission

Final Schedule (Detailed Program Schedule and Panel Descriptions)

Organizers and Co-Sponsors