LaKisha Simmons

LaKisha Simmons is an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan, holding joint appointments in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies (DAAS) and Women's and Gender Studies. Her research explores African American history through Black feminist frameworks, focusing on topics including Black girlhood, reproductive justice, affective labor, and spatial memory.

• University: University of Michigan
• Department: Afroamerican and African Studies (DAAS)
• Academic Rank: Associate Professor
• Email: kisha@umich.edu

Research Themes

• Black feminist interpretations of historical trauma
• Geographies of pain and pleasure
• Reproductive justice in historical contexts
• Black girlhood and kinship networks
• Memory and healing in African American communities
• Interdisciplinary approaches to African diaspora

Her recent publications examine affective labor in slavery, visual representations of trauma in Beyoncé's Lemonade, conjure feminism, and the spatial dynamics of Black women's experiences. The University of Michigan's Department of Afroamerican and African Studies is located in Haven Hall, Room 4700.