Mark Sanders

Mark Sanders is a Professor of English and Africana Studies at the University of Notre Dame, directing the Notre Dame Initiative on Race and Resilience. He holds a Ph.D. from Brown University and has taught at Emory University before joining Notre Dame. His research focuses on African American and Afro-Latin American literature and culture, emphasizing transnational print cultures and their role in addressing social inequities. His courses include 'Early African American Prose,' 'Afro-Cuban Literature and Culture,' and 'The African-American Autobiography.'

• Education: Ph.D. (Brown University, 1992), M.A. (Brown University, 1988), B.A. (Oberlin College, 1985).
• Administrative Roles: Chair of the Department of Africana Studies (2021–present), Director of the Initiative on Race and Resilience (2020–present), former Chair of African American Studies at Emory University (2003–2014).

Sanders explores themes such as race theory, the Harlem Renaissance, and Afro-Latin American literature. His publications include A Black Soldier’s Story (2010) and co-edited volumes on Sterling A. Brown. He has translated and published works by Afro-Colombian poets like Rómulo Bustos Aguirre. His grants include a Fulbright Fellowship (2014) and the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program leadership (2001–2011).

His advising spans over 40 students in English, Africana Studies, and interdisciplinary programs. He has delivered invited lectures globally, including at Harvard, UCLA, and universities in Colombia and Ecuador. Sanders co-edits the Afro-Latin American Writers in Translation series and advocates for marginalized voices in literature and culture.