Sherita L. Johnson

Sherita L. Johnson is an Associate Professor of English and Director of the Africana Research Center (ARC) at Pennsylvania State University's College of the Liberal Arts. She holds a B.A. from Alabama State University, and M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on 19th-century African American literature, print culture, and archival work that highlights Black writers, activists, and public intellectuals. She currently serves as a 2024-2025 Just Transformations Commonwealth Faculty Fellow, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Prof. Johnson's interdisciplinary work bridges academia and public scholarship. She collaborates with institutions like the African American Military History Museum (AAMHM) and the Sixth Street Museum District to preserve civil rights history, host public lectures, and engage communities through service-learning initiatives. Her projects include revitalizing the Bay Springs School (a historic Rosenwald School) and researching Clyde Kennard’s legacy, culminating in a documentary and edited volume.

Her awards include the Distinguished Service Award from AAMHM (2024) and the Conville Endowment Award (2023-2024). She has held leadership roles, such as President of the Society for the Study of Southern Literature (2022-2024), and is a member of the American Antiquarian Society.