Bryan Wagner

Bryan Wagner is a Professor in the English Department and American Studies Program at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on African American cultural history, legal studies, and digital humanities. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including Disturbing the Peace (2009), The Tar Baby (2017), and works on jazz and Louisiana history. Wagner leads multidisciplinary projects like Louisiana Slave Conspiracies (digital archive of 18th-century slave trials) and Tremé 1908 (documenting New Orleans civil rights and cultural innovation). He is currently writing The People’s Court, exploring legal performance traditions in African American culture.

His OSI 2024 workshop with Jeannine DeLombard examines Legal Personhood and civil rights activism. Collaborations include the An Open Classroom on New Orleans Culture project with local organizations. Wagner’s work bridges historical analysis, cultural studies, and public humanities, emphasizing marginalized voices in legal and artistic traditions.