معرفی
Dr. Julie de Chantal is an Associate Professor of History and Public History Coordinator at Georgia Southern University's Department of History within the College of Arts and Humanities. She specializes in African American history with a particular focus on Black women's grassroots activism in Boston from the early 20th century through the civil rights era.
Her educational background includes a PhD in History from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst (2016), where her dissertation examined African American women's civil rights leadership in Boston. She also holds an MA (2008) and BA (2005) in History from Université de Montréal.
Dr. de Chantal's research centers on the intersection of race, gender, and class in historical movements, with particular attention to how upwardly-mobile Black working-class mothers navigated Boston's civil rights movement and city politics from 1910 to 1974. Her current book manuscript, Just Ordinary Mothers: Black Women's Grassroots Organizing in Boston, from the Vote to the Busing Crisis, explores this theme in depth. She also examines transnational movements, Pan-Africanism, and has recently expanded into public history projects related to African American heritage sites.
Her publications reveal a consistent scholarly trajectory focused on recovering the often-overlooked contributions of Black women to social and political movements. While her earlier work examined Black political realignment and civil rights leadership, her more recent scholarship has engaged with digital pedagogy and public history applications of her research.
- 2024 Scholarly Pursuit Award, Office of Research Services, Georgia Southern University
- 2022 Faculty Award for Inclusive Excellence, Georgia Southern College of Arts and Humanities
- 2023 Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Historical Film Making for African Americans at Fort Pulaski
- 2015 Ermonian Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching, University of Massachusetts
- 2013 Joyce A. Berkman Endowed Fund in Women's History and Women's Studies Award
Dr. de Chantal has secured significant grant funding for her research, including as Principal Investigator for the Special History Study on African Americans at Fort Pulaski National Historic Site ($50,666 from the National Park Service). She serves as Faculty Advisor for Phi Alpha Theta and has been actively involved in mentoring students. Her service extends to professional organizations including the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians and the Coordinating Council for Women in History, where she has held leadership positions.
She is actively engaged with the Five College Women's Studies Research Center as a Research Associate and collaborates with the National Park Service on public history projects related to African American heritage. Her work bridges academic research with public engagement through community lectures and collaborations with historical organizations.
