Brandon Winford

Brandon Winford is an Associate Professor of American History at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in the Department of History within the College of Arts and Sciences. Specializing in African American history and civil rights, he focuses on intersections of black business history and economic struggles in the New South. He co-founded the Fleming-Morrow Endowment to support African American history research and teaching.

• PhD in United States History (UNC Chapel Hill, 2014)
• MA (North Carolina Central University, 2007)
• BA (North Carolina Central University, 2005)

His research examines black financial institutions, civil rights activism, and economic resilience in segregated communities. Current work includes a book manuscript on Black banking history in the New South.

His award-winning book John Hervey Wheeler, Black Banking, and the Economic Struggle for Civil Rights (2020) explores how black economic empowerment shaped civil rights strategies. Awards include recognition from the Lillian Smith Book Awards and UTK diversity initiatives.