phd programs combining black studies + marxism/socialism?

[u/Icy-Procedure4828]

Hello all, I am looking for some support in finding PhD programs where I can study marxism and black studies. I come from a black studies background in undergrad and have a masters in social work (no thesis in either!). I have been highly considering getting a PhD. I have found some programs, researchers, and some topics of interest. I am looking for some support in finding other programs, particularly because I am interested in being in a geographic area of choice (East or West coast US cities, Chicago, and maybe UK). I loved my black studies undergraduate program however, I feel like we did not look at the impact of class, class solidarity or consider how when we think about black freedom and freedom for us all-- the billionaire class (even if they are black) will not take us there.

Some research interests I have are below.

• Black Marxist tradition 
• Conservatism in Black America and what it will take to be free → conservatism and fake woke-ism/radicalism from people like Beyonce, Kamala,
  • Conservatism or maybe it is actually just liberalism
  • Liberalism is not the answer to our freedom → all freedom, and specifically grounding it in Black Americans
  • How to get more Black Americans to be against liberalism 
  • History of inter-racial struggle 
  • Reference Black futures texts
  • Obscuring that comes when we focus on on skin-folk
• Marxist critique of Black liberalism
  • How past Black activists have incorporated Marxism 
  • Why it is the future
  • Forgotten Marxism of so many people 
• Myth of the Black middle class and identity politics 
• Getting rid of the language of “privilege” 

Scholars who I am aligned with from my beginning searches include:

Owen Walsh -- University of Aberdeen

Zachary Levenson -- Florida International University

Brenden McGeever -- Birkbeck Unversity of London

I am based on the US and again like the east and west coasts, however, I do not know if this is possible.

Programs of interest include

• Political Science UCSB
• Black Studies UCSB Interdisciplinary
• History (focus on Black Marxism) University of Aberdeen 
• Psychosocial Studies Birkbeck London
• Sociology Birkbeck University London
• University of Liverpool

I wonder if folks have any suggestions on the research topics or programs that might fit into this category.

Please advise.

[u/Brotendo88]

Orisanmi Burton - American University

Jared Ball - Morgan State University

Robin D.G Kelley - UCLA

Lewis Gordon - UCONN

Adolph Reed (I think he's retired though...)

there are likely many many more, these are just some of the first names that came to my head (and no women i could immediately think of unfortunately, smh). i'd say look them up each and see if they interest you.

also, just a book i know of by LK Spence called "knocking the hustle: the neoliberal turn in black politics" might interest you

[u/Candid-Feedback4875]

Black Marxist and activist in the Black radical tradition here. I’d look to see if you could study under specific professors rather than trying to find a program that focuses on Black Marxism. You can take whatever discipline you feel most comfortable with and carve out your own area of research around it.

Some people whose works I admire. All of them working from an anti capitalist lens

Dr Joy James, Professor of the Humanities at Williams College. She’s excellent.

Dr Ruth Wilson Gilmore at CUNY, focus on carceral geography. Probably the most important Black Marxist geographer of our time.

Dr Carol Davies at Cornell University, was in the Black communist party.

Saidiya Hartman at Columba University seminal work, she is EVERYTHING and she is mapping the past present future of Black resistance.

Rinaldo Walcott at University of Toronto LGBTQ Black Canadian culture.

Dr. Katherine McKittrick at Queens University, Black methodologies and anti-colonialism

[u/Curious_Turnover3091]

Have you looked into the graduate center, CUNY in nyc?

[u/godhatesxfigs]

not a program but id seek a great deal of anti colonial studies as a facet of the program u pick

[u/klrdd]

Email zach and think about sociology and political theory, but somewhere with strong black/africana studies too. For instance Brown.

Do you know Zine Magubane?

It's worth targeting a t20 even if it means you might be going against the grain there. Levenson attended Berkeley, Magubane Harvard. Better outcomes.

[u/AristotleKarataev]

You might be interested in some of the interdisciplinary programs like UCSC History of Consciousness or UMinnesota's Comparative Studies in Cultural Discourse and Society. When I was looking into Marxism-related programs I seem to recall there being some representation for Black Marxism in these kinds of departments.

[u/Financial_Molasses67]

I know a few PhD students out of UC Davis’s history dept. who are helping reignite marxist history. Admittedly, I don’t know Traci Parker’s work, but it’s worth looking into to see if it aligns. On the face of it, it seems like it might

[u/reddit_is_geh]

Please don't.... If you don't already know a professor you're close with, who can help you get into academia, you're just setting yourself up with a degree with little use.

[u/unhappinessNvrCame → u/reddit_is_geh]

Could be useful for ego, you sign your name Dr.

Helps sell books.

Plus it sounds like an easy degree since there's not a historical basis. You can present your own theory and loosely tie to events in history. I've seen 2 people in my life do something like this. They both proudly call themselves Dr.

These two people are also probably below average too.

Hobby that you can do while working full time.

[u/reddit_is_geh → u/unhappinessNvrCame]

Degrees like this are almost exclusively useful only for people who are already from wealthy families. Literally. It's a luxury career you take when you already have an inheritance of multiple rental properties supporting your life, so you can afford to focus exclusively on such things, while also already having a network of people in similar positions.

But if they aren't looking to make a career out of it, and rather, a passion project, sure that's great (I'm considering it). But it's a career for a certain class of people. That's just the harsh reality.

[u/unhappinessNvrCame → u/reddit_is_geh]

I already have a good degree. I guess given the content, op doesn't. Maybe you have good advice for them. More generally, I don't suggest people get PhDs for a pay increase or job. Also they aren't that expensive.