Melanie R. Hill

Melanie R. Hill is an Assistant Professor of American Literature in the Department of English at Rutgers University, Newark. She specializes in the intersection of African American Literature, Music, and Womanist Theology, with a focus on how Black women preachers use sermonic and musical practices to counter social injustices. Her work has been published in the Religions Journal and Oxford University Press, and her forthcoming manuscript "Colored Women Sittin’ on High: Womanist Sermonic Practice in Literature and Music" is under contract with the University of North Carolina Press. Dr. Hill is also affiliated with American Studies, Africana Studies, and Women and Gender Studies programs.

• Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
• Master’s, University of Pennsylvania
• Master’s in Literature, George Mason University
• B.A. in English with minor in Spanish, University of Virginia

Her research spans 19th, 20th, and 21st-century African American literature, sound studies, poetry, and religious studies, emphasizing the role of music and performance in literary and theological traditions. As a classically trained Gospel Soul violinist, she has performed at iconic venues such as the White House, Kennedy Center, and Apollo Theater, and has been featured on TV One, BET, and other media outlets.