Neil Roberts

Neil Roberts is the Associate Dean of the Faculty and the John B. McCoy and John T. McCoy Professor of Africana Studies at Williams College, with faculty affiliations in Political Science and Religion. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago (2007), specializing in political theory.

• Education:
  • B.A., Brown University (1998)
  • M.A., University of Chicago, Political Science (2003)
  • Ph.D., University of Chicago, Political Science (2007)

Roberts’ research explores intersections of Caribbean, Continental, and North American political theory, focusing on freedom, Black radical traditions, and Sylvia Wynter’s philosophical contributions. His work bridges political theory with literature, philosophy of religion, and anti-colonial thought.

He is a co-editor of the CAS Working Papers in Africana Studies series and the anthology Creolizing Rousseau (2015). His award-winning book Freedom as Marronage (2015) and collaborative work Journeys in Caribbean Thought (2016) highlight his scholarship. He is currently preparing Creolizing Arendt and How to Live Free in an Age of Pessimism.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship
  • Social Science Research Council Fellowship
  • Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Award
  • W. Ford Schumann Faculty Fellow in Democratic Studies (2018-2021)