Our People

Headshot of Jose' Maria Munoz

Jose' 
Maria Munoz

Senior Research Scholar
Headshot of William J. Maxwell

William J. 
Maxwell

Fannie Hurst Professor of American Literature, Professor of English and African and African American Studies
Acting Director of English Undergraduate Studies, 2023-2024
Headshot of Thembelani (Themba) Mbatha

Thembelani (Themba) 
Mbatha

Postdoctoral Fellow, AFAS ('23 -'24) Assistant Professor, AFAS (Fall '24 - )
Headshot of Dwight A.  McBride

Dwight A.  
McBride

Gerald Early Distinguished Professor
Senior Advisor to the Chancellor (On leave '23-'24 school year)
Headshot of Shelley  Mitchom

Shelley  
Mitchom

Administrative Coordinator
Headshot of John Mundell

John 
Mundell

Postdoctoral Fellow, AFAS
Headshot of Sowande’​  Mustakeem

Sowande’​  
Mustakeem

​Associate Professor of History and of African and African-American Studies
Headshot of ​Mungai Mutonya

​Mungai 
Mutonya

Teaching Professor in African and African American Studies
Kenya Summer Program Coordinator
Headshot of Bronwyn Nichols Lodato

Bronwyn 
Nichols Lodato

Assistant Professor, Education & African & African American Studies
Headshot of ​Shanti Parikh

​Shanti 
Parikh

Chair of African and African-American Studies
Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology and of African and African-American Studies
Headshot of ​Timothy Parsons

​Timothy 
Parsons

​Professor of History and of African and African-American Studies
Headshot of Gabriel Peoples

Gabriel 
Peoples

Past Postdoctoral Ford Foundation Fellow '22-'23
Assistant Professor, Gender Studies, Indiana University
Headshot of Kyle Proehl

Kyle 
Proehl

Editorial Assistant, James Baldwin Review
Headshot of Michelle Purdy

Michelle 
Purdy

Associate Professor of Education
Affiliated Faculty, African and African-American Studies, Urban Studies, and Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Equity
Headshot of Kelly Schmidt

Kelly 
Schmidt

Reparative Public Historian and Lecturer, Special Collections Management Research Associate, WashU & Slavery Project
Headshot of Samuel Shearer

Samuel 
Shearer

Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies
Faculty of Urban Humanities (On leave Spring 2024)
Headshot of Vetta  Thompson

Vetta  
Thompson

E. Desmond Lee Professor of Racial and Ethnic Diversity
Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Headshot of ​Wilmetta Toliver-Diallo​

​Wilmetta 
Toliver-Diallo​

​Assistant Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences
Lecturer in African and African American Studies Director of the Senegal Summer Program Coordinator of the Washington University African Film Festival
Headshot of Miguel Valerio

Miguel 
Valerio

Assistant Professor of Spanish
Performing Arts (Affiliate)
Headshot of Rebecca Wanzo

Rebecca 
Wanzo

Chair and Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
African and African-American Studies, Courtesy Affiliation American Culture Studies, Courtesy Affiliation English, Courtesy Affiliation Film and Media Studies, Courtesy Affiliation
Headshot of Geoff Ward

Geoff 
Ward

Professor of African and African American Studies
Director, WashU & Slavery Project, Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity (CRE2) Faculty Affiliate in Sociology and American Culture Studies
Headshot of Gabrielle Weeden

Gabrielle 
Weeden

Community & Program Coordinator
Headshot of Rafia Zafar

Rafia 
Zafar

Professor of English, African and African-American Studies, and American Culture Studies