Josh A Sides

Josh A Sides is a Professor in the History Department at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), where he joined in 2005 as the Whitsett Professor of California History. He served as Director of the Center for Southern California Studies from 2007 to 2014 and edited the journal California History from 2014 to 2019.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D., University of California Los Angeles, 1999
• M.A., University of California Los Angeles, 1996
• B.A., University of California Davis, 1994

Dr. Sides specializes in U.S. History with deep expertise in African-American History, California History, and Los Angeles History, examining urban development, social movements, and racial dynamics in 20th-century America. His research often explores how marginalized communities shaped California's cultural and physical landscapes through works like L.A. City Limits and Erotic City.

His scholarly contributions have earned significant recognition:

• Martin Ridge Prize for L.A. City Limits: African American Los Angeles from the Great Depression to the Present
• Bullough Prize and Lewis Mumford Prize for Erotic City: Sexual Revolutions and the Making of Modern San Francisco

As an educator, Dr. Sides mentors students through graduate seminars like HIST 601 (Theory and Historiography) and undergraduate courses on Los Angeles history. His leadership at the Center for Southern California Studies facilitated collaborative research initiatives and community-focused historical projects across the region.