Suzanne E. Smith

Suzanne E. Smith is a Professor at George Mason University specializing in African American history, 20th century cultural history, the history of death in America, American popular music, and African American religious history. Her work explores how African American entrepreneurship transforms cultural understanding, with significant contributions to Motown's cultural politics and funeral traditions.

She earned her Ph.D. from Yale University and has established herself as a leading scholar through interdisciplinary research bridging history, cultural studies, and religious studies.

Smith's research demonstrates a clear evolution from analyzing music and urban culture in Dancing in the Street (1999) to examining death practices in To Serve the Living (2010), culminating in contemporary explorations of religious entrepreneurship and collective memory. Her publications consistently address themes of cultural memory, community resilience, and the intersection of race with economic and religious institutions.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Ralph Gleason Music Book Award (third prize, 2000)
• Library of Virginia Literary Award finalist (2010)
• Two National Endowment for the Humanities Research Fellowships (2006-2007, 2013-2014)
• Spencer Library Travel Grant (2002)

As an educator, Smith has supervised four doctoral dissertations and actively engages in public scholarship through media appearances and documentary contributions. Her teaching portfolio spans African American history surveys, specialized courses on death practices, and explorations of music and civil rights.

She maintains active involvement in academic discourse through conference presentations and media interviews addressing contemporary issues like the impact of COVID-19 on Black funeral homes and George Floyd's memorialization.