Francille Rusan Wilson

Francille Rusan Wilson is an Associate Professor in American Studies and Ethnicity, History, and Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Southern California. She holds joint appointments across multiple disciplines and currently serves in the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies. Her research focuses on 19th-20th century African American history, labor movements, race, and gender, with an emphasis on Black social scientists and women’s contributions during the Jim Crow era. She received her Ph.D. in American History from the University of Pennsylvania (1988) and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University’s Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences (2017-2018).

Wilson’s notable work includes The Segregated Scholars: Black Social Scientists and the Creation of Black Labor Studies, 1890-1950, which won the Letitia Woods Brown Memorial Prize. Her research examines intersections of Black labor activism, intellectual contributions, and gender dynamics. Recent projects include co-curating the Rise Up LA: A Century of Votes for Women exhibit (2019–2021).

• Awards: Distinguished Lecturer (OAH), CASBS Fellow, Mary McLeod Bethune Award
• Service:曾 interim Chair of Gender and Sexuality Studies (2020), National Director of the Association of Black Women Historians, and Commissioner of the Los Angeles Commission on the Status of Women.

Her work bridges historical scholarship with contemporary social justice, emphasizing underrepresented voices in labor and gender studies. Academic leadership roles include administrative appointments and board positions at institutions like the California African American Museum.