Kimberly C Ransom

Kimberly C Ransom serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership at the University of Illinois College of Education, where her interdisciplinary scholarship bridges historical research and public engagement through museum curation and community partnerships.

Her educational background includes a PhD in Educational Studies from the University of Michigan (2021), an MA from DePaul University, and a BS from Bradley University. Prior to doctoral studies, she founded the University of Chicago Collegiate Scholars Program serving 1,000+ CPS students.

Dr. Ransom specializes in the History of African American Education and History of Childhood, examining oral histories and material objects from Black children in Jim Crow-era segregated schools (1940-1969). Her research illuminates how marginalized children asserted agency in shaping educational experiences through cultural expression and community action. As a public scholar, she co-founded Alabama's Historic Pickensville Rosenwald School Museum & Community Center to preserve Black childhood heritage.

Her publications (2017-2023) demonstrate consistent thematic focus on Black childhood resistance, utilizing oral history and ethnographic methods across educational justice, museum studies, and cultural analysis. Key trends include centering Black girls' experiences, examining parental organizing, and reimagining historical narratives through creative frameworks.

Her accolades include:

• 2019 NAEd Spencer Fellowship
• 2019 Rackham Dissertation Fellowship
• 2018 Rackham Public Scholarship Fellowship
• Multiple University of Chicago leadership awards

Research funding includes the University of Michigan Public Scholarship Grant (2015), Black Belt Community Foundation Grant (2019-2022), and National Trust for Historic Preservation Funds (2023), supporting community-based historical projects. She also serves on youth advocacy boards including The Young People’s Project in Boston.

Her Historic Pickensville Rosenwald School Museum partnership represents a sustained community collaboration transforming dissertation research into a physical space preserving Alabama's sole remaining Rosenwald Schoolhouse, demonstrating her commitment to public-facing scholarship.