معرفی
Leonora Souza Paula is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University's Department of English, affiliated with the Global Studies in Arts and Humanities Program. Her research focuses on intersections of race, gender, urban culture, and memory in Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Diasporic contexts. She holds an ACLS fellowship (2021) and received the 2024 MSU GenCen Inspiration Award for community engagement. Her work bridges academia and public humanities, addressing racial equity, spatial justice, and epistemic reparations.
- Affiliations: Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, James Madison College, Alliance for African Partnership
- Key Projects: Black spatial imagination in heritage recovery, UN advocacy on racial equity, mentorship programs for marginalized scholars
Her research interests span urban marginality, cultural memory, and transnational feminist frameworks. Recent publications analyze Afro-Brazilian literature, street art's role in spatial justice, and urban violence narratives. She actively collaborates with global institutions, including the UN’s Permanent Forum on People of African Descent and Brazil’s Ministry of Racial Equity.
Awards:
- 2024 MSU GenCen Inspiration Award
- ACLS Fellowship (2021)
- Creating Inclusive Excellence Grants (2022, 2018)
- Exemplary Diversity Scholar Award (2015, University of Michigan)
Advocacy & Grants: Leads initiatives on anti-racist pedagogies, transnational mentorship programs, and global racial justice policy. Her work integrates grassroots activism with scholarly research.
