Tom Davies

Dr Tom Davies is an Associate Professor in American History at the University of Sussex, specializing in postwar U.S. political and social history with a focus on race, inequality, and policy dynamics. His work bridges the Department of History and American Studies, addressing intersections between social movements and institutional responses.

Research Focus: Twentieth-century U.S. history, particularly the civil rights and Black Power movements, Great Society liberalism, and urban-racial inequality. His monograph Mainstreaming Black Power (2017) examines political assimilation of Black Power, while current projects explore New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay’s liberalism and technology’s role in post-civil rights inequality.

Publications: 15 recent works span Black Power (2013-2025), civil rights (2024), Cold War Africa-US relations (2015), and Jewish left-wing movements (2021), with keywords like urban politics, racial equity, and economic justice.

Awards:

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Teaching: Leads modules on the Civil Rights Movement, American Business, and theoretical concepts. Serves as Director of Recruitment and Admissions for the School of History, Art History, and Philosophy.

Professional Affiliations:

• Organisation of American Historians (OAH)
• Urban History Association (UHA)
• Historians of the Twentieth Century United States (HOTCUS)
• British Association for American Studies (BAAS)