معرفی
Natasha Lightfoot is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Columbia University. She holds a Ph.D. from New York University (2007) and a B.A. from Yale University (1999). Her research focuses on slavery and emancipation, black identities, and Caribbean, Atlantic World, and African Diaspora histories. She is the author of Troubling Freedom: Antigua and the Aftermath of British Emancipation (2015) and has been awarded prestigious fellowships such as the American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship (2020-2021) and the Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2012-2013). She teaches courses on comparative slavery, resistance in the Black Atlantic, and modern Caribbean history.
Lightfoot’s research explores how marginalized communities redefined freedom post-emancipation. Her work emphasizes everyday acts of resistance and cultural identity formation among working-class Antiguans. She has conducted extensive archival work in Antigua and collaborated with institutions like the Schomburg Center. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges historical scholarship with contemporary social issues, as seen in her New York Times op-ed linking historical analysis to modern contexts.
Awards highlight her contributions to Caribbean and diaspora studies, including grants for digital preservation and recognition for her essay on Antiguan women rebels. She is affiliated with leading organizations like the American Historical Association and the Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora. Despite being on leave during Spring 2025, her academic leadership and community engagement remain central to her profile.
