Duchess Harris, Ph.D., J.D., is a Professor of American Studies at Macalester College, author of Black Feminist Politics from Kennedy to Trump, and co-editor with Bruce D. Baum of Racially Writing the Republic: Racists, Race Rebels, and Transformations of American Identity.
Duchess Harris, professor and author, was a presenter at From Resistance to Resilience: The Evolution of African American Reading, The Givens Foundation for African American Literature's annual conference, held on June 3, 2025 at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. In this engaging workshop, Dr. Harris addresses The Unwritten Curriculum: How Erasure in Literature Fuels Inequity, as she talks about her trajectory as an author, and the banning
Recently, I returned to Martha’s Vineyard for the first time in 27 years. It was everything I remembered and more than I could have imagined. As I moved through the streets, not only was Black joy in abundance, but no fewer than 15 people called out to me from various phases of my life, including the parents of my 5th-grade boyfriend. 😁 And the new connections I made? Unmatched! The people that I connected with weren’t special because of their resumes or accomplishments. It’
Duchess Harris was a featured presenter at this year's Momentum Summit along with speakers like CNN host Van Jones and Nicole Austin-Hillery, president & CEO, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. Since 2021, PEN America has documented nearly 23,000 school book bans nationwide. Harris, the DeWitt Wallace Professor of American Studies at Macalester College in Minnesota, has seen multiple books she’s written challenged or restricted. Four of her titles appeared on a list
