Kim F. Hall

Kim F. Hall is the Lucyle Hook Professor of English and Professor of Africana Studies at Barnard College, with joint appointments in Medieval & Renaissance Studies. She joined Barnard in 2006, previously directing the Africana Studies Program where she spearheaded institutional initiatives like the college's first cluster hire and co-developed its Africana Gender Studies focus. She also founded the Middle Passage Initiative, facilitating student dialogues on transatlantic slavery history through trips to Ghana and South Carolina.

Hall holds a B.A. from Hood College and a Ph.D. in 16th/17th-century English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania. Her research integrates:

• Renaissance/Early Modern literature with critical race and Black feminist frameworks
• Slavery and diaspora studies, examining sugar trade colonialism
• Digital humanities, notably the Digital Shange Project preserving Ntozake Shange's legacy
• Visual/material culture and food studies in historical contexts

Her publications consistently explore race, gender, and power dynamics in early modern texts and contemporary digital adaptations. Recent works emphasize Shakespeare's global impact and Afrodiasporic reinterpretations, blending archival scholarship with public engagement.

Major honors include:

• National Humanities Center Fellowship (2017)
• NEH Summer Stipend (2016)
• Tow Award for Innovative Pedagogy (2015)
• Hood College Alumna of the Year (2018)
• Sam Wanamaker Fellowship (2018)

Hall leads collaborative projects like the Mellon-funded Digital Shange Project and directs grant-supported initiatives engaging students in digital storytelling and transatlantic history. She chaired the MLA Shakespeare Division and serves as a #ShakeRace discourse curator.