Walter Hawthorne

Walter Hawthorne is a Professor of African and Digital History at Michigan State University (MSU), serving as Director of Enslaved.org and Editor of the Journal of Slavery and Data Preservation. He holds affiliations with the Department of History in the College of Social Science.

• Ph.D. in African History (Stanford University, 1998)
• M.A. in American History (University of Maryland, 1992)
• B.A. in History (Hampden-Sydney College, 1988)

His research focuses on Atlantic slavery, the transatlantic slave trade, African agricultural practices, and digital humanities. Key works include Planting Rice and Harvesting Slaves (1990s oral histories in Guinea-Bissau) and From Africa to Brazil (examining the slave trade to Amazonia). He has published in journals like Journal of African History and American Historical Review.

As a digital humanist, he collaborates with MSU’s Matrix center on projects such as Enslaved.org (funded by Mellon Foundation and NEH), digitization in The Gambia, and Slave Biographies. His administrative roles included Department Chair (8 years) and Associate Dean (4 years).

He advises graduate students in African, Atlantic, and digital history, and engages undergraduates in Enslaved.org. His work bridges archival research, oral histories, and global collaboration across Africa, Brazil, Portugal, and the Caribbean.