Devyn Spence Benson

Devyn Spence Benson serves as Associate Professor of Africana and Latin American Studies and Chair of the Department of Africana Studies at Davidson College. Her scholarship centers on race, revolution, and historical memory in 19th-20th century Cuba within broader Latin American and transnational frameworks.

Dr. Benson's research synthesizes historical analysis with critical race theory, examining how racial hierarchies persisted despite revolutionary promises in Cuba. Her work bridges African diaspora studies, Latin American history, and postcolonial theory through extensive archival research and ethnographic fieldwork conducted over annual visits to Cuba since 2003.

She has received significant recognition through the Doris G. Quinn Fellowship, FLAS Fellowship, and Gaius Charles Bolin Dissertation Fellowship. Her scholarly residencies include the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the WEB DuBois Institute at Harvard University's Hutchins Center.

Dr. Benson's influential publications appear in leading journals including the Hispanic American Historical Review, Cuban Studies, and Journal of Transnational American Studies, establishing her as a key voice in Afro-Latin American historical scholarship.