François Richard

François Richard is a Faculty Chair for the Colonization’s Sequence and Associate Professor in the Departments of Race, Diaspora, & Indigeneity and Anthropology at the University of Chicago. His research focuses on historical anthropology and archaeology, particularly examining French colonialism in West Africa and post-independence Mexico, as well as the material dimensions of Atlantic World histories. He chairs the 'Colonizations' Civ sequence in the UChicago College Core Curriculum and teaches courses on archives, materiality, space, political life, colonialism, race, and archaeological theory.

His research spans projects such as Reluctant Landscapes, analyzing political transformations in Senegal’s Siin region, and a comparative study of African rural communities across the Atlantic divide. Recent work explores French colonial settlements in Veracruz, Mexico, interrogating their cultural and racialized legacies. He also engages with interdisciplinary topics like archaeology’s epistemological ties to cinema and 'archaeological sensibilities' beyond the discipline.

His publications reflect a focus on material culture, colonial transitions, and the interplay between political power and landscape. Key themes include agrarian capitalism, psychoanalysis, and the socio-political dynamics of colonial and postcolonial societies. His edited volumes, such as Ethnic Ambiguity and the African Past, further explore identities and materiality in African contexts.

Richard’s work bridges historical and anthropological methods, emphasizing critical engagements with colonialism, capitalism, and the material foundations of cultural practices. His research and teaching address broader questions of power, memory, and the entanglement of human and non-human histories.