Sowande' Mustakeem

Sowande’ Mustakeem is an Associate Professor of History and African and African-American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis (2017–present). She holds a PhD from Michigan State University (2008), MA from Ohio State University (2002), and BA from Elon University (2000). Her research focuses on slavery, gender, maritime history, and carceral studies. Notably, her book Slavery at Sea (2016) won the Wesley-Logan Prize and Dred Scott Freedom Award. She teaches interdisciplinary courses on topics like slavery and memory, African diaspora film, and women and crime. Awards include the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award (2022) and multiple grants from the Washington University Center for Humanities. Current projects include Blood on the Concrete: Race, Sex, and Crime in America’s Heartland.

Her academic service spans roles as Co-Chair of AFAS Events/Speakers Series, member of the History Department’s Intellectual Life Committee, and founder of the History SoundTable podcast initiative. Community engagement includes lectures on historical memory and collaborations with museums like the Missouri History Museum. Mustakeem’s work bridges historical scholarship with public education, emphasizing marginalized voices in slavery studies and criminal justice.