Terrence Tucker

Terrence Tucker is an Associate Professor and Chair of African American Literature in the Department of English at the University of Memphis. He holds a B.A. from Louisiana State University (2000), an M.A. (2002), and a Ph.D. (2006) from the University of Kentucky. His research explores intersections of race, literature, and culture, with a focus on African American literary traditions and contemporary social justice issues. His work includes the book Furiously Funny: Comic Rage from Ralph Ellison to Chris Rock (2018) and an upcoming project on representations of the black elite in literature.

His research interests span Afrofuturism, pedagogy in social justice contexts, and the cultural legacy of African American literature. He has contributed to journals such as Pedagogy, Southern Literary Journal, and College Language Association Journal, focusing on topics like African American superheroes, Southern literary traditions, and the evolution of racial identity narratives.

Tucker’s current project, The Rise of the Afristocracy, examines portrayals of the black elite from antebellum free blacks to modern figures. His scholarship bridges literary analysis with societal critique, emphasizing the role of literature in understanding class, race, and cultural identity.