Emily Callaci

Emily Callaci is a Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in modern African history, global feminism, and decolonization. She holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University and has taught courses ranging from African decolonization to the history of humanitarianism. Her research explores themes such as urban migration in Tanzania, the global Wages for Housework movement, and reproductive justice in postcolonial Africa.

Education:

• Ph.D., Northwestern University
• M.A., Northwestern University
• B.A., Kenyon College

Research Interests: Dr. Callaci’s work bridges historical scholarship with activist frameworks. Her first book, Street Archives and City Life: Popular Intellectuals in Postcolonial Tanzania, examines urban migrant culture in Dar es Salaam. Her second book, Wages for Housework: The Story of a Movement, an Idea, a Promise, traces the transnational feminist movement’s evolution. She is currently researching the intersection of decolonization and health policy in sub-Saharan Africa.

Publications: Her articles include analyses of Depo-Provera’s global impact, Tanzania’s pulp fiction industry, and urban planning in Dodoma. These works reflect her focus on marginalized voices and structural inequities in historical narratives.

Awards:

• National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend (2018)
• American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship (2015–16)

Advising & Grants: She has advised students like Carly Lucas and Fauziyatu Moro, supported by grants from the Fulbright-Hays and Jacob K. Javits programs. Her teaching spans courses on global reproductive politics and the African postcolony.