Marcus Lee

Marcus Lee is an incoming Assistant Professor in the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University, starting July 2025. His academic work bridges political science, Black studies, and gender and sexuality studies, with a strong focus on 20th-century Black political history and social movements.

His research centers on the political visibility of Black LGBTQ+ communities in the post-civil rights era, examining the role of HIV/AIDS epidemiology, audiovisual technologies, and civil rights memory. A second project analyzes the expansion of racialized vigilante violence through legislative mechanisms like 'Shoot First' laws, abortion bounties, and concealed carry insurance. His interdisciplinary approach integrates science and technology studies with critical race theory.

Lee's publications in the Du Bois Review and The Atlantic reflect a commitment to both scholarly and public-facing scholarship. His recent and upcoming work demonstrates a trajectory of rigorous historical analysis and engagement with contemporary racial politics.

Scientific Awards:

• University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Point Foundation Scholarship
• American Political Science Association Minority Fellowship
• Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship
• Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship

Advising and Grants: While formal advisees are not listed, his research has been supported by major grants from the Social Science Research Council, the Mellon Mays Foundation, and the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture at the University of Chicago. He is expected to mentor graduate and undergraduate students in Black political thought and social movements.

Labs and Research Teams: Though no formal lab is mentioned, his work is affiliated with interdisciplinary research networks in race, politics, and culture, particularly through his fellowships and institutional affiliations at the University of Chicago and Princeton.