Lynn Lewis

Lynn Lewis is a Part-time Lecturer at The New School since 2020, teaching in the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment and the Bachelor’s Program for Adults and Transfer Students (BPATS). She has served as an adjunct professor and previously as Executive Director of Picture the Homeless for 17 years. Her roles include community organizing, oral history, and consulting for non-profits in fundraising and executive coaching. She holds an M.A. in Oral History from Columbia University and a B.A. in Cultural Studies with a Philosophy concentration from SUNY.

Lewis holds a Master of Arts in Oral History from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Studies with a concentration in Philosophy from the State University of New York.

Her research interests focus on Oral History, Community Organizing, and Public Policy, with a particular emphasis on Homelessness, Housing Policy, and Social Change. She explores systemic inequality, grassroots leadership, and the intersection of race and urban policy through participatory methodologies.

Her recent publications include articles on participatory oral history methodologies and homelessness policy, alongside a forthcoming book on social justice organizers. She has presented her work at institutions like Columbia, Princeton, and Union Theological Seminary.

• 2022/2023 Oral History Association/National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow
• 2019: Runner Up, Joseph H. Brodsky Oral History Award
• 2018: Jack B. Weinstein Fellowship, Columbia University

Lewis advises through her courses and has contributed to participatory action research projects such as Banking on Vacancy: Homelessness and Real Estate Speculation. She has served on boards including the East Harlem/El Barrio Community Land Trust and Communities United for Police Reform, advocating for systemic solutions to homelessness and housing inequality.

She founded the Picture the Homeless Oral History Project, a collaborative effort with homeless leaders to document their advocacy work and explore systemic change strategies.