Chuck Jackson

Chuck Jackson is a Professor of English and Coordinator of the B.A. in English program at the University of Houston-Downtown, overseeing concentrations in creative writing, education, and film studies. He earned his Ph.D. in U.S. Literature, Film, and Culture from Rice University. His research focuses on nontheatrical film studies, archival film preservation, independent Black cinema, and the intersection of prison abolition with literary and cultural studies. Jackson has received significant grants including the Mellon Foundation Black Studies Course Development Grant (2025) and a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) award (2024). He teaches courses like Film Theory, Cultural Criticism, and Literature and Culture, emphasizing critical pedagogy and interdisciplinary approaches.

His scholarship bridges cinematic horror analysis with historical contexts, particularly exploring petroleum culture in 1960s-70s horror films and the work of Black cinematographers like James E. Hinton. Recent publications include 'Small Collection, Enormous Power' (2025) examining archival film curation and 'Texas/Chain Saw/Atmospheres' (2024) analyzing regional identity in horror cinema.

Jackson has secured multiple Organized Research Grants (2023, 2021) and focuses on educational justice through pedagogical innovations. His work frequently intersects with social justice themes, linking literary analysis to contemporary debates about incarceration and systemic racism.