Scott Ellsworth

Dr. Scott Ellsworth, a Teaching Professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies (DAAS) at the University of Michigan since 2007, specializes in African American history, U.S. Southern history and culture, race and sports, and race and criminal justice. His work combines historical research with public engagement, focusing on critical moments of racial conflict and progress in American society.

• Education: B.A. (1976) from Reed College, M.A. (1977), and Ph.D. (1982) from Duke University, where he participated in the Duke Oral History Program.

Ellsworth's research spans topics such as the Civil Rights Movement, Southern literature, and the intersection of race with sports and criminal justice. He is renowned for his scholarship on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and its legacy, including efforts to identify unmarked graves of victims. His publications highlight themes of racial violence, historical memory, and cultural narratives in the American South.

His recent book The Ground Breaking: An American City and Its Search for Justice (2021) builds on his expertise in racial history and urban justice movements. Earlier, The Secret Game (2016) garnered national recognition, including a PEN Book Award and Chicago Tribune Top Ten selection.

• Scientific Awards: 2016 PEN Book Award

Ellsworth's career bridges academia and public discourse, with contributions to major media outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post, and appearances on NPR, PBS, and international documentaries. He previously worked as a historian at the Smithsonian Institution.