Loron Benton

Dr. Loron Benton is a Research Professor in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of South Carolina, affiliated with the College of Arts & Sciences. She is an inaugural member of the Bridge to Faculty Program. Her expertise spans Black feminist theory, womanist theology, queer theory, and cultural studies of Black women’s creative works.

• B.A. in English and Women’s Studies (Emory University)
• M.A. in Women’s Studies (Georgia State University)
• Ph.D. in Gender Studies (UCLA)

Her research explores intersections of sexuality, spirituality, creativity, and political power, with a focus on 20th-century Black women’s cultural production. Recent work analyzes Kara Walker’s public art through Black feminist nostalgia frameworks. She also studies health disparities in the U.S. South and pedagogy in middle grades/college education.

Selected Awards:

• Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Georgia State University (M.A. phase)

Her work bridges academia and community advocacy, including collaborations with the Bridge to Faculty Program and initiatives in gender and hip hop studies. No grants or formal advisees are listed, though her scholarship emphasizes collective justice frameworks.