Crystal Fleming

Crystal Fleming is a Professor of Africana Studies at Smith College, where she teaches courses such as Introduction to Black Women’s Studies, Black Magic: Africana Encounters with the Paranormal, and Black Europe. Her scholarly work integrates critical race theory, black feminist thought, and ethnographic methods to examine racial justice, collective memory, and spirituality.

• Education: Ph.D. and M.A. in Sociology from Harvard University; B.A. magna cum laude in French and Sociology from Wellesley College.

Fleming's research focuses on antiracism, white supremacy, and the intersection of race, gender, and inequality. She has authored and edited four books, including How to Be Less Stupid About Race and RISE UP!, and her scholarship appears in journals like Social Problems and Ethnic and Racial Studies.

Her recent projects include a book on social justice and an ethnographic study of Black life in Provincetown, Massachusetts. She has held leadership roles, such as an elected member of the American Sociological Association Council and an external board member of Brown University’s Mindfulness Center.

• American Political Science Association’s Georges-Lavau Award for best dissertation on French politics
• Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship
• Woodrow Wilson Career Enhancement Fellowship