Celia E. Naylor is a Professor in the Department of Africana Studies at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she has been a faculty member since 2010. She previously served as Assistant Professor and then tenured Associate Professor of History at Dartmouth College (2002–2010). Her academic home is in the College of Arts and Sciences, where she contributes to interdisciplinary scholarship across history, gender studies, and the African diaspora. B.A., Cornell University, Summa Cum Laude (Africana Studies with concentration in Women's Studies) M.A., UCLA (Afro-American Studies) M.A., Duke University (History) Ph.D., Duke University (History) Her research focuses on African-American, Caribbean, and Native American histories, with deep engagement in women’s and gender studies in the African diaspora, colonialism, and the cultural memory of slavery. She examines how race, gender, and power intersect in historical narratives and public representations. Her work critically analyzes the reconstruction of slavery in modern cultural forms, particularly in tourism and literature. The majority of her recent publications revolve around the history of enslaved people at Rose Hall Plantation in Jamaica, culminating in her 2022 monograph UnSilencing Slavery and a companion digital humanities project. These works combine microhistory, interdisciplinary critique, and digital storytelling to recenter the lives of the enslaved. Earlier works explore Black-Indian relations in U.S. history, particularly among the Cherokee Nation. Her publications span journals and edited volumes in history, ethnic studies, and cultural theory. Columbia University, Black Students Organization, Professor of the Year Award, May 2024 Barnard College, Digital Humanities Center Summer Fellowship, 2019 The Heyman Center for the Humanities, Faculty Fellowship, 2017–2018 Barnard College, BOSS Professor of the Year Award, May 2015 Columbia University, Black Students Organization, Professor of the Year Award, May 2012 Dartmouth College, Jack E. Thomas 1974 Family Fellowship, 2008–2009 Dartmouth College, John M. Manley Huntington Teaching Award, July 2008 Dartmouth College, Arthur M. Wilson Faculty Research Fellowship, 2005–2006 Woodrow Wilson Career Enhancement Fellowship (Alternate), 2005–2006 Nelson A. Rockefeller Center Research Scholars Program, 2004–2006 Professor Naylor advises student research through senior thesis seminars and mentors emerging scholars in Africana and women’s studies. She has received grant support from prestigious institutions including Columbia, Barnard, and Dartmouth. Her work with the Institute for Strategic and Equitable Development (ISED), where she serves as President of the Board of Directors, reflects her commitment to racial equity and community-centered development. She leads initiatives such as Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in Environmental Philanthropy (InDEEP) and the Presidents' Forum on Racial Equity in Philanthropy. She also collaborates with organizations like Keecha Harris & Associates and InPartnership Consulting. Her digital humanities project (Un)Silencing Slavery serves as both a research archive and public educational tool, launched on the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence. She regularly presents her work at major academic conferences including the American Historical Association, Association of Caribbean Historians, and Berkshire Conference on Women’s History. Her scholarship is deeply collaborative, often involving interdisciplinary teams across history, anthropology, and digital media.
