Natalie Hopkinson

Natalie Hopkinson is an Associate Professor of Media, Democracy and Society at American University, renowned for her scholarship on Black and Indigenous cultural expressions and advocacy for music as social justice.

Her educational foundation includes:

• B.A. in Political Science from Howard University
• M.A. in Journalism and Public Affairs from the University of Maryland-College Park
• Ph.D. in Journalism and Public Communication from the University of Maryland-College Park

Her research interrogates African diasporic cultural networks through media, art, and music—particularly go-go—with fieldwork spanning West Africa, the Caribbean, South America, and Europe. This manifests in documentary projects, exhibits, and theoretical frameworks positioning cultural practices as tools for community mobilization and political resistance.

Her impactful contributions have earned significant recognition:

• Hurston/Wright Legacy Award
• PEN-America Recognition
• Independent Publishers Association Recognition
• SPIN Magazine Recognition
• Flame of Inspiration by The Capstone Group, D.C. Commission on Women, and Poverty & Race Research Action Council
• Cultural Influencer by The Capstone Group, D.C. Commission on Women, and Poverty & Race Research Action Council
• Voice for Racial Justice by The Capstone Group, D.C. Commission on Women, and Poverty & Race Research Action Council
• Pushy Woman Day Proclamation by District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser (2021)
• 2023 Artist Activist Award from the Canady Foundation for the Arts
• 2024 Wammie Award for Music Advocacy

Though specific advising relationships aren't detailed, her mentorship is evident through leadership in community-driven initiatives like the Go-Go Museum & Cafe and Traditional Arts DC, which received institutional support for cultural preservation. She currently co-leads the National Civil Rights Museum's Legacy Galleries expansion project in Memphis.

Dr. Hopkinson's activist-scholar praxis bridges academic rigor and grassroots movement building, exemplified by co-founding the Don't Mute DC campaign and serving as Chief Curator for the Go-Go Museum & Cafe—a culmination of decades documenting D.C.'s cultural landscape.