Research Interests
African American Intellectual History
Black Nationalism
Pan-Africanism
Research Description
I specialize in intellectual and institutional expressions of Pan-Africanism in the U.S. My dissertation -- "Pan-African Paradigms: African American Scholars and Africa in the 20th Century" -- explores African Americans’ attempts to legitimize the study of Africa through the development of African Studies programs in the Cold War era, the political ambitions and activities associated with their work, and the legacy of their efforts.
Education
B.A. in History, Howard University, 2021
M.A. in History, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2025
Awards and Honors
List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Spring and Fall 2024
3rd Place in Graduate Conference in African American History, University of Memphis, February 2022
Courses Taught
U.S. History to 1877 (History 170) (August 2022 – December 2022)
History of Black America, 1619-Present (Hist 174/Afro 101) (January 2023-May 2023)
University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, U.S. History to 1877 (History 171) (August 2023 – December 2023)
Black Music (History 104) (August 2024 – December 2024)
U.S. History Since 1877 (History 173) (January 2024 & 2025 – May 2024 & 2025)
Additional Campus Affiliations
Summer Research Opportunities Program (June-July 2025)
Center for Irwin Academics (June-December 2025)
Additional Teaching Experiences
Blues in the Schools, Urbana (September 2022–Present)
Radical Thought Collective, Camp Uhuru (June-August 2023)
Freedom School, Urbana School District #116 (September 2023-May 2024)