Dr. Hasan Jeffries
Dr. Jeffries is Professor of History at The Ohio State University where he teaches courses on the Civil Rights and Black Power Movement.
View Professor Jeffries' discussion about African American history here.
Why American History Divides the Nation
The legacy of slavery and the debate over its contemporary consequences have divided the
nation over issues of systemic racism, what should be taught in our schools, and by those who want the true rendering of American history to be forgotten-- “Educational malpractice,” as our speaker has noted.
Did our history begin in 1619 when the first slaves arrived in the British colony of Virginia, or
1776 with our Declaration of Independence and it’s lofty goals of equality that have struggled throughout our history to become a reality?
Dr. Jeffries will address these and other issues vital to our political stability in the years ahead.
He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated summa cum laude from Morehouse College with a BA in history in 1994 and a PhD in American history with a specialization in African American history from Duke University in 2002.
His current book project, In the Shadow of Civil Rights, examines the Black experience in New York City from 1977 to 1993. The book aims to provide a new narrative of the Black experience in the post-civil rights era. He has worked on several public history projects.
From 2010 to 2014, he was the lead historian and primary scriptwriter for the $27 million renovation of the National Civil Rights Museum. He hosts the podcast, “Teaching Hard History,” a production of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s educational division. He has also contributed to several documentary film projects as a featured on-camera scholar, including the Emmy nominated, four-hour PBS documentary Black America Since MLK.
Dr. Jeffries consults regularly with school districts on developing anti-racism programming. This work includes conducting professional development workshops for teachers, speaking to student assemblies, and developing inclusive curricular centered on social studies.
For his pedagogical creativity and effectiveness, he has received Ohio State’s Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching, the university’s highest award to teaching, and the Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award.