Javal Coleman

Javal Coleman is an Assistant Instructor in the Department of Classics within the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in ancient slavery studies and its modern implications. He teaches courses including First-Year Latin, Classical Mythology, and Ancient Rome through both online and traditional formats.

His educational background includes a Bachelor's degree from the University of North Texas and an M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, where he continues doctoral studies in Classics. Coleman's research focuses on paternalistic ideologies in ancient texts, particularly examining representations of 'good slaves' in Demosthenes' For Phormion and their connection to modern racial discourse.

Coleman's scholarly work bridges ancient and contemporary slavery studies, emphasizing the 'afterlife of slavery' as conceptualized by Saidiya Hartman. His research interests include Ancient Slavery, Comparative Slavery, Race Studies, and Black Experiences in Classics, with particular attention to how studying ancient slavery illuminates modern systemic racism. As an African American scholar descended from enslaved individuals, he brings personal perspective to his academic work, arguing that historians of slavery must 'be still and hear [enslaved voices] when they speak' rather than speaking for them.

His publications analyze paternalism in ancient texts, the Thesaurus Linguae Latinae Fellowship, comparisons between historical and modern political crises, and issues facing contingent faculty in Classics. Coleman actively engages with how ancient slavery connects to contemporary racial tensions, highlighting that 'I, too, am the afterlife of slavery' as both personal statement and scholarly framework.

• Paternalism and the "Good Slave" in the Speech for Phormion and the Legacies of Slavery (2022)
• Biographies of Latin via the endangered TLL Fellowship (2021)
• Elon Musk, Sulla, and the American "Crisis Without Alternative" (2022)

Coleman's teaching philosophy connects ancient texts to modern social issues, particularly regarding race and power structures. His courses span introductory Latin, Classical Mythology, and Ancient Rome, with multiple offerings in asynchronous online formats. He advocates for centering marginalized voices in both ancient studies and contemporary discourse, drawing on Walter Johnson's concept of agency in slavery studies. His personal experiences with racism inform his scholarly commitment to understanding historical roots of current racial dynamics, making his work both academically rigorous and personally meaningful.