Barbara Ransby

Dr. Barbara Ransby is the John D. MacArthur Chair and Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), holding appointments in Black Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, and History. She directs the campus-wide Social Justice Initiative (SJI), fostering academic-community partnerships. Her research focuses on African American history, gender, and social justice movements.

Education: Columbia University graduate, University of Michigan Mellon Fellow. Research interests include 20th-century African American struggles, radical democracy, and contemporary activism.

Publications include award-winning books on Ella Baker, Eslanda Robeson, and Black Lives Matter. Recognized with major prizes in history and social justice, including the Angela Y. Davis Prize and Frantz Fanon Lifetime Achievement Award.

Editorial roles include Souls journal and Race and Class. Served as National Women’s Studies Association President. Active in community initiatives like The Portal Project, a transdisciplinary symposium on justice.