Elwood Watson, Author at • Page 4 of 6

Academic Historian

Elwood Watson is a professor of History, African American Studies, and Gender Studies at East Tennessee State University. He is the co-editor of two anthologies There She Is, Miss America: The Politics of Sex, Beauty and Race in America’s Most Famous Pageant and The Oprah Phenomenon. He is the sole editor of the anthology Searching The Soul of Ally McBeal: Critical Essays. His book Outsiders Within: Black Women in the Legal Academy After Brown v. Board was published in 2008 by Rowman and Littlefield Publishers. The author and co-author of several award winning articles, he is currently working on an anthology that explores performance and anxiety of the male body and a second monograph that explores the contemporary race realist movement. Watson is also the co-author of the forthcoming book, Beginning A Career in Academia: A Graduate Guide for Students of Color Routledge Press (2014).

The Racial Politics of Miss America

Elwood Watson, a professor of history at East Tennessee State University, is one of the few African American cultural historians to focus his research on the Miss America pageant. In the article below he examines the success of eight black women in winning the pageant … Read MoreThe Racial Politics of Miss America

William J. Jefferson (1947- )

William J. Jefferson is a former Democratic politician who represented Louisiana’s Second Congressional District from 1991 to 2009. He was the first African American congressman elected from the state since Reconstruction. His career ended in a bribery scandal that resulted in his conviction in November … Read MoreWilliam J. Jefferson (1947- )

Vanessa Williams (1963- )

Vanessa Lynn Williams was born in Tarrytown, New York on March 18, 1963. She is the daughter of Helen and the late Milton Williams who were music teachers. She has a younger brother, Christopher, who is also an actor. Williams was the first African American … Read MoreVanessa Williams (1963- )

William Burney (1951- )

William Burney, a business consultant who lives in southern Maine, was elected as the first black mayor of Augusta, Maine, the state capital, in November 1988. He served two four-year terms in this position until 1996. Burney was born in Augusta on April 23, 1951. … Read MoreWilliam Burney (1951- )

John Jenkins (1952- )

John Jenkins is the former mayor of Lewiston, Maine and the recently elected mayor of Auburn Maine. Jenkins is the first African American to serve as mayor in both cities. He served as mayor of Lewiston from 1993 to 1995. He has held the mayor’s … Read MoreJohn Jenkins (1952- )

Valerie Jarrett (1956- )

Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Barack Obama, was born on November 14, 1956. She is a Chicago, Illinois attorney, businesswoman, and community leader most prominently known for her role as one of the three campaign co-chairs of Barack Obama’s historic 2008 presidential campaign. Jarrett … Read MoreValerie Jarrett (1956- )

Stephanie St. Clair (1897–1969)

Stephanie St. Clair was born in Martinique, an island in the East Caribbean on December 24, 1897 and came to the United States via Marseilles, France. In 1912 fifteen-year-old St. Clair arrived in Harlem and eventually by the 1920s became known for her deep involvement … Read MoreStephanie St. Clair (1897–1969)

Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson (1906-1968)

Ellsworth Raymond “Bumpy” Johnson was an American gangster in Harlem, New York in the 20th century. He has been the subject or character of a number of Hollywood films including The Cotton Club, Hoodlum, and most recently, American Gangster. Johnson was originally from Charleston, South … Read MoreEllsworth “Bumpy” Johnson (1906-1968)

Carrie Meek (1926-2021)

Carrie Meek was born on April 29, 1926, in Tallahassee, Florida. Her parents were sharecroppers and her childhood neighborhood was racially segregated. Meek attended and graduated from Florida A&M University. Graduate schools in Florida were still segregated at this time so she was forced to … Read MoreCarrie Meek (1926-2021)

Anita Faye Hill (1956- )

Anita Hill is a professor of law, social policy and management and women’s studies at Brandeis University. She was born in Lone Tree, Oklahoma on July 30, 1956. A bright student, she graduated as the valedictorian of her high school class and then earned a … Read MoreAnita Faye Hill (1956- )