James Sidbury

James Sidbury is the Andrew W. Mellon Distinguished Professor of Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University, with affiliation to the Center for African and African American Studies. His research focuses on race, slavery, and identity formation in the English-speaking Atlantic world from the 17th to 19th centuries. He holds a PhD, MA, and BA from Johns Hopkins University (1991, 1980s).

His current projects include a synthetic study of racial identity formation during the American Revolution era, examining how African, European, and Indigenous peoples developed racialized self-conceptions between 1750-1815. He also explores Sierra Leone's colonial history and co-edits an anthology on the urban black Atlantic during the slave trade era.

Key research areas include Atlantic history, Native American history, and Southern history. His work analyzes non-elite populations' historical consciousness and collective identity formation. Recent publications address ethnogenesis, colonial interactions, and race in transatlantic contexts.

• Awards: Andrew W. Mellon Distinguished Professorship
• Grants/Fellowships: Not explicitly listed in text
• Labs/Teams: Collaborates with Center for African and African American Studies and co-editors with Jorge Cañizares-Esguerra and Matt Childs