Nina Johnson

Nina Johnson is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology and a core faculty member in the Black Studies Program at Swarthmore College. Her work bridges urban sociology, carceral policy, race, and class inequality, with a focus on how systemic oppression impacts Black communities. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Northwestern University (2012) and affiliations with the Graterford Prison Think Tank, Chester Think Tank, and the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility.

• Education: Ph.D. (Sociology, Northwestern, 2012), M.A. (Sociology, Northwestern, 2007), M.A. (Culture and Communications, NYU, 1999), B.A. (Urban Studies & African American Studies, UPenn, 1997)

Johnson’s research examines mass incarceration’s neighborhood-level consequences, Black political thought, and strategies for liberation. Her 2020 book project, Black Privilege, investigates the paradoxes of elite Black identity and systemic inequality. She integrates experiential learning with incarcerated populations and emphasizes creativity as a tool for resistance.

Recent publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches to inequality, carceral policy, and Black social theory. Johnson’s work has been supported by the Engaged Scholars Initiative and the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program.

• Scientific Awards: 2019–2020 Engaged Scholars Initiative Fellow

She mentors students like Brandon Ekweonu and Taylor Tucker, whose research explores hip-hop culture, Black female carceral experiences, and Afrofuturism. Johnson also collaborates with prosecutors and communities to rethink punitive systems.