I am a scholar of African American history, particularly of the relationship between race, freedom rights, and religion in the twentieth century Black Freedom Movement. My scholarship and pedagogy are built around establishing similarities, differences, and contingencies that reveal how groups fought for liberation in myriad ways. I assume that there is no single movement or approach to Black freedom that can adequately unpack the aims and desires of all Black communities—and that we do historical actors a disservice by flattening their decisions into simplistic categories. The same can and must be recognized when broadly describing the historical construction of race, gender, or politics.
Joseph Stuart is a scholar of African American history, particularly of the relationship between race, freedom rights, and religion in the twentieth century Black Freedom Movement.