Shanna Greene Benjamin Named Reynolds Professor of African American Studies

The Program in African American Studies at Wake Forest University is pleased to announce the appointment of Shanna Greene Benjamin as Reynolds Professor of African American Studies.

A distinguished scholar and accomplished academic leader, Professor Benjamin joined Wake Forest University from Grinnell College, where she was professor of English and associate dean of the College. She began her career at Johnson C. Smith University, her undergraduate alma mater, where she also directed the honors college. The recipient of fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies and the Howard Foundation, Benjamin is the author of Half in Shadow: The Life and Legacy of Nellie Y. McKay, which received the 2022 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award in Nonfiction (Memoir/Biography) and was named one of the best books of 2021 by Ms. Magazine.

At Wake Forest, Benjamin is recognized for her intellectual leadership, innovative teaching, and mentorship. She offers courses that reflect the breadth and depth of African American Studies, including “Theories and Methods in African American Studies,” “Black Autobiography and Memoir,” “Radical Hospitality: Black Women, Culture, and Cuisine,” and the capstone seminar, “African American Studies Atelier.”

“Professor Shanna Greene Benjamin exemplifies the best of our teacher-scholar ideal. Her pathbreaking scholarship, extraordinary teaching, and deep engagement with students advance the distinctive intellectual mission of African American Studies at Wake Forest and make a signature contribution to the University’s highest ideals of academic excellence and the spirit of Pro Humanitate.”

-Corey D. B. Walker, Director of the Program in African American Studies and Wake Forest Professor of the Humanities

The Reynolds Professorship is among the University’s most prestigious academic honors. Professor Benjamin’s appointment underscores both her standing as an exemplary teacher-scholar and the Program in African American Studies’ role as a leading site of innovative scholarship and humanistic engagement at Wake Forest University.