Texas Oral History Association 2026 Conference
About this Event
We’re thrilled to invite you back for the Texas Oral History Association (TOHA) 2026 Annual Conference, taking place September 11–12, 2026, on the beautiful campus of El Paso Community College - Rio Grande Campus in El Paso, Texas!
This year’s conference promises engaging sessions, dynamic presentations, and meaningful conversations that explore the power and practice of oral history in Texas and beyond. Don't miss out on the chance to engage in lively discussions, attend informative sessions, and explore the rich tapestry of Texas history. Whether you're a seasoned oral historian or just starting, this conference offers something for everyone. We can't wait to see you there!
Students, use code "TOHA26Stu" for a special discount!
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Website: https://toha.web.baylor.edu/2026conference
Friday Conference Workshop
Reimagining Oral History: Embodied, Decolonial Approaches to Memory, Narrative, and Care
This experiential workshop invites participants to critically examine dominant assumptions about language, narrative, and memory within oral history practice. Drawing on devised-theater methodologies, it centers embodied, relational, and decolonial approaches to engaging complex histories, with particular attention to questions of belonging, care, and community. The workshop is guided by two central questions: What constitutes an open and ethical invitation for individuals to share their lived experiences? And under what conditions can such forms of expression emerge? In response, participants will engage in a series of structured activities—including embodied memory work, sensory exploration, and collective scene-making—that investigate how memory is held, accessed, and communicated through the body, beyond spoken language.
Challenging the traditional linear narration in oral history, this workshop foregrounds presence, process, and relational attentiveness as critical epistemological practices. Intended for oral historians and educators, the workshop offers a collaborative environment for experimentation and critical reflection. Participants will consider how these approaches might inform their research methodologies, pedagogical practices, archival work, and community-engaged projects, with an emphasis on cultivating more inclusive, ethical, and expansive forms of memory work.
Due to equipment availability and the highly interactive nature of the session, space is limited. Early sign-up is encouraged.
Saturday Keynote
Join us for the Saturday keynote featuring Dr. Yolanda Chávez Leyva, a Chicana/fronteriza historian, writer, and oral historian whose work centers on border history, public history, and Chicana history. As Former Director of the Institute of Oral History and Professor of History at the University of Texas at El Paso, Dr. Leyva has dedicated her career to documenting the lives, stories, and histories of people living on la frontera. Her work highlights the power of oral history to preserve community memory, uplift lived experiences, and make history accessible to the people it represents.
Dr. Leyva is the recipient of the Premio Estrella de Aztlán Lifetime Achievement Award and has been nationally recognized for her contributions to public history.
About El Paso Community College and the University of Texas at El Paso
The Texas Oral History Association is extremely grateful for the support of TOHA 2026's partners and sponsors, El Paso Community College and the University of Texas at El Paso.
El Paso Community College serves the El Paso region by expanding access to educational opportunities that support the social and economic advancement of the communities it serves. With more than 130 academic programs, more than 350 personal enrichment and continuing education courses, and five campuses throughout El Paso County, EPCC plays a vital role in supporting students and strengthening the region.
The University of Texas at El Paso’s Institute of Oral History was established in 1972 and works to preserve the history of the Rio Grande border region in both the United States and Mexico. The Institute holds the largest border-related oral history collection in the United States, with more than 1,600 interviews and over 20,000 pages of transcript, making it an important resource for researchers, students, and the public.
This conference will be the fifteenth annual gathering of the Texas Oral History Association and marks an exciting return to West Texas.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 15.00 to USD 50.00
