Abdur-Rahman Aliyyah

Abdur-Rahman Aliyyah is a Professor of American Studies and English at Brown University, with affiliations in both departments. His research focuses on African American literature, gender/sexuality studies, and visual/media studies, examining topics like slavery narratives, Civil Rights retrenchment impacts, and contemporary diasporic culture. He holds a PhD from New York University (2005) and has been awarded prestigious fellowships from institutions including the Ford Foundation and Mellon Foundation. His publications include the book Against the Closet: Black Political Longing and the Erotics of Race (2012) and forthcoming work Millennial Style: The Politics of Experiment in Contemporary African Diasporic Culture. He teaches courses such as Black Feminism, Toni Morrison studies, and seminars on cultural repair.

• Education:
• PhD in American Studies, New York University (2005)
• MA in English, New York University (2003)
• BA in English, Stony Brook University (2000)
• Research Highlights:
• Explores intersections of sexuality/social order in slave narratives
• Analyzes political terror and aesthetic abstraction in diasporic media
• Awards:
• Two-time Darwin Turner Award for Best Essay in African American Review
• Recognition from W.E.B. Du Bois Institute and JFK Institute