Nikki Brown

Nikki Brown is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Kentucky, affiliated with the College of Arts & Sciences. She holds additional affiliations with African American and Africana Studies, International Film Studies, International Studies, and the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies. Dr. Brown earned her PhD in History from Yale University (2001) and a Bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College. Her research focuses on African American history, gender studies, and visual arts, with notable work on the Civil Rights Movement and the Afro-Turk community in Turkey. She has conducted Fulbright lectures in Turkey (2014, 2018-2019) and maintains an active photography practice documenting marginalized communities. Her award-winning book Private Politics and Public Voices (2006) received the Letitia Woods Brown Award. Current projects include an oral history of Afro-Turks and a book on Louisiana’s Civil Rights Movement.

• Education: PhD in History (Yale University, 2001)
• Research Themes: Gender, Race, Identity, Representation, and Politics
• Photography Projects: African American men in post-Katrina New Orleans and Afro-Turks in Turkey
• Grants: Fulbright/CIES Program (2014, 2018-2019)

Her academic contributions blend historical scholarship with visual storytelling, reflecting a commitment to interdisciplinary research and global perspectives.