About
Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts is an Assistant Professor of Writing at Pratt Institute's School of Liberal Arts & Sciences. She specializes in African-American history, culture, and urban studies, with a focus on Harlem's sociocultural legacy. Her work bridges literary scholarship and public engagement through projects like The Freedwomen’s Bureau. Rhodes-Pitts holds a BA from Harvard University in Afro-American Studies and Visual and Environmental Studies, and has received prestigious awards including the Lannan Foundation Fellowship and Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award.
- Education: BA (2000), Afro-American Studies & Visual and Environmental Studies, Harvard College
- Key Roles: Coordinator for Pratt's Black Studies Minor
Her research interrogates spatial justice, historical memory, and Black radical traditions. Notable publications include the critically acclaimed Harlem Is Nowhere (2011) and Jake Makes a World (2015). She explores intersections of art, activism, and urban life in essays for New York Times Magazine, Harper’s, and Transition.
Rhodes-Pitts’ public projects include collaborations with institutions like MoMA and The Guggenheim, emphasizing art’s role in social critique. Her writing often connects historical narratives to contemporary struggles for equity and belonging in urban spaces.
