Gregory Childs

Gregory Childs is Associate Professor of History at Brandeis University, with affiliations in the Department of African and African American Studies. His academic work bridges Latin American, Caribbean, and African Diaspora studies, focusing on colonialism, slavery, race formation, and the intellectual history of freedom movements.

His research explores the intersections of urban space, public politics, and antiracism, particularly in 18th-century Bahia, Brazil, as seen in his book Seditious Spaces, Public Politics. A second major project investigates how freedom from slavery became conceptually linked with mental illness in post-emancipation Cuba and Brazil, engaging with the history of psychiatry and racial science.

Gregory Childs has been recognized with several honors, including:

• Teaching Innovation Grant from Brandeis University (2017–2018)
• Conference Committee Chair for the African American Intellectual History Society (2017–2018)
• American Antiquarian Society-NEH Fellowship (2018–2019)

He teaches courses on Latin American and Caribbean history, slavery and freedom, graffiti, and historical methodologies at both undergraduate and graduate levels. His work is supported by active research fellowships and institutional affiliations that reflect his interdisciplinary approach.