Sueanna Smith

Sueanna Smith is an Instructor in the Department of English Language and Literature at the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Carolina. She holds a PhD in English from the University of South Carolina (2021), an MA in English from California State University Stanislaus (2010), and a BS in Social Sciences from Saint Thomas Aquinas College (2008).

Her research focuses on African American Literature and History, Early American Literature, Print and Material Culture, Book History, and Social History. She is currently reconstructing biographies of early African American Boston residents using archival materials and examining their community relationships. She has presented work on topics like Freemasonry’s role in African American identity and early American cultural history.

• Awards: Bilinski Dissertation Fellowship, Lapidus Dissertation Fellowship, Peterson Fellowship, Andrew Mellon Fellowship, Love of Learning Grant, and Institute for African American Research Fellowship.

She teaches courses including ENGL 101 and 102, focusing on themes like protest, social justice, race in popular culture, and American sports. She serves as a faculty mentor for USC’s First-Gen Center (starting Fall 2024) and is involved in the University 101 Program.