Theme: Dallas Underground

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Beneath the city’s bustling metropolis and cultural polish lies a lesser-known Dallas that has been shaped by imagination, experimentation, and resistance. From student-led anti-war activism at SMU in the late 1960s and demonstrations organized by local chapters of prominent civil rights organizations to the city’s first Gay Pride parade in 1972 and the rise of the Deep Ellum arts and music scene in the 1980s, Dallas has long had a significant cultural narrative running alongside, and sometimes against, the mainstream.

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Call for Proposals

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The 28th annual Dallas History Conference welcomes proposals that illuminate this colorful and relevant overlooked past, from the ephemeral to the institutional. Papers may explore social and political activism, underground and alternative publications, avant-garde local figures, LGBTQ nightlife and community spaces, experimental and subversive art scenes, and any ideas and individuals who challenged civic and cultural norms.

Proposals should be submitted no later than July 1, 2026, to LegaciesDHC@gmail.com.