Core Faculty

LaNitra M Berger

Director

Associate Professor

Art of the African Diaspora, African-American art history, South African modern art, Intersections of the African and Jewish Diasporas, lynching photography, art and social activism, African and African American Studies, social justice and international education, women artists, racial injustice and public monuments and memorials

RaShall Brackney

Distinguished Visiting Professor of Practice

Dr. Brackney’s research examines the intersections of policing, race, systemic power, and social justice, with particular emphasis on how institutional practices within the criminal legal system disproportionately impact marginalized communities. Her work is grounded in critical criminology and informed by her practitioner experience, bridging theory and practice to explore the structural, cultural, and political dimensions of public safety, accountability, and democratic governance. She is especially interested in reimagining justice through interdisciplinary frameworks that draw from public policy, African and African American studies, and community-based strategies for reform.

Benedict Carton

Associate Professor

Africa, South Africa, transnational race, imperialism, cultural and oral history

Christy L Pichichero

Associate Professor

Early Modern, Enlightenment, Revolutionary History, Literature, Art, & Music of the French Empire; Theories, Histories, and Practices of African Diaspora; Slavery & its Afterlives; War & Culture; Critical Race & Mixed-Race Studies; Gender & Sexuality; Human Rights & Social Justice; Theater; Film; Digital Humanities; Medical History; History of Emotion; Women’s Writing & History; History of News & Information Networks; Critical Pedagogy; Inclusive Pedagogy & Curricular Design; Student, Faculty, Staff Wellbeing; Faculty, Graduate, Undergraduate Recruitment, Retention, & Mentoring; Academic and Community Activism, Academe & Politics.