Shirley E. Thompson

Shirley E. Thompson serves as Associate Professor and Associate Chair of American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin's College of Liberal Arts, concurrently holding the position of Associate Director at the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies.

Her academic credentials include:

• A.B. in History from Harvard College (1992)
• A.M. in History from Harvard University (2000)
• Ph.D. in History of American Civilization from Harvard University (2001)

Professor Thompson's research centers on African American historical memory and cultural production, with signature projects examining property relations in post-slavery contexts and Creole identity in 19th-century New Orleans. Her methodologies integrate cultural history, legal theory, and performance studies to analyze intersections of race, law, and ownership. Current work investigates how African American communities navigated property systems after emancipation through expressive culture and political economy.

Her scholarly recognition encompasses:

• Ralph Henry Gabriel Dissertation Prize (2001)
• Ford Foundation Fellowship
• American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship
• American Association of University Women Fellowship

Teaching spans foundational courses including Race, Law, and US Society; Black Representations of the South; and Cultural History of the US to 1865, with recent Spring 2025 offerings in Black Futures and Race/Law. Her pedagogy emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to African Diaspora studies, connecting historical frameworks with contemporary social analysis through courses on Atlantic Slavery and Harlem Renaissance.

As Associate Director of the John L. Warfield Center, she advances institutional research initiatives on African and African American experiences while maintaining active faculty governance through her Associate Chair responsibilities.