Erik S McDuffie

Erik S McDuffie is an Associate Professor in the Department of African American Studies and History at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also holds professorial appointments with the Program in Jewish Culture and Society, Center for African Studies (where he serves as Director), Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies, and Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

He earned his Ph.D. in History with a concentration in the African diaspora and U.S. history since 1865 from New York University, an M.A. in History from Temple University, and a B.A. in History from Hamilton College. Originally from Detroit, he is a sixth generation Midwesterner with family roots spanning the United States, Canada, and St. Kitts.

Dr. McDuffie's scholarly work centers on the African diaspora, black feminism, black queer theory, black radicalism, and the significance of the Midwest in global Black freedom movements. His research reveals how Black political thought has developed through transnational connections between the American heartland and global liberation struggles, challenging conventional narratives that center only coastal urban centers.

His publications demonstrate a consistent engagement with critical questions about Black political thought across time and space, with recent work focusing on Garveyism's global impact through the lens of the Midwest. This research trajectory shows increasing attention to transnational connections and the global dimensions of local Black political movements.

• Wesley-Logan Prize (2012) from the American Historical Association and ASALH
• Letitia Woods Brown Award (2011) from the Association of Black Women Historians
• Helen Corley Petit Award (2010)
• Outstanding Teaching Award in African American Studies (AY 2010-11)
• Outstanding Research Contribution in African American Studies Award (2017)
• National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship (2016)
• Richard and Margaret Romano Professional Scholar award (2014)
• American Council for Learned Societies fellowship (2017)

Dr. McDuffie has secured significant research funding including major fellowships from the American Council for Learned Societies and National Endowment for the Humanities. As Director of the Center for African Studies, he leads initiatives promoting interdisciplinary research on Africa and the African diaspora. His current book project on Garveyism in the Diasporic Midwest represents a major contribution to understanding how Black political thought developed through connections between the American heartland and global liberation movements, drawing from original research across multiple continents.