Jeffrey Stewart

Jeffrey Stewart is a Professor of Black Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara, where he has been affiliated since 2007. He served as Chair of the Department of Black Studies from 2007 to 2016, spearheading initiatives like the North Hall 19968 Takeover Display and the History of Jazz Coffeehouse pop-up experience in Isla Vista. His research focuses on African American cultural history, biography, and the New Negro Movement.

• Education: BA in Philosophy (Honors) from UC Santa Cruz, PhD in American Studies from Yale University

Stewart’s work bridges academic scholarship and curatorial practice. His 2018 book, The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke, earned critical acclaim and multiple awards, including the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize. He has held fellowships and visiting professorships at Harvard, Yale, UCLA, and the Terra Foundation in Giverny, France.

His scholarly contributions extend to curating major exhibitions, such as To Color America: Portraits by Winold Reiss at the Smithsonian and Paul Robeson: Artist and Citizen. He is also the author of 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About African American History (1996) and the forthcoming The New Negro Aesthetic (2022).

• 2018 National Book Award for Nonfiction
• 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Biography
• 2019 Mark Lynton History Prize
• 2019 James A. Rawley Prize
• 2018 Black Caucus of the American Library Association Award for Nonfiction
• 2018 PROSE Award for Best Biography/Autobiography
• 2019 American Book Award

Stewart’s research and teaching emphasize the intersection of African American history, jazz, and cultural studies. His immersive projects, such as the jazz coffeehouse, highlight his commitment to public engagement with academia. He continues to contribute to the field through his upcoming book and ongoing affiliations with UCSB.