Karida L. Brown

Karida L. Brown is a sociologist, professor, oral historian, and public intellectual whose research centers on the ontologies of systemic racism and the fullness of Black life. An educator, public speaker, author, and humanist, she is known for empowering her readership, students, and organizations to be active participants in driving equity and justice. Dr. Brown's body of work combines her expertise in data-driven social science research, her vast experience in navigating complex global organizations, and her love of the arts. These insights bring actionable and reparative knowledge to the public.

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Dr. Brown graduated from Uniondale High School in Long Island, New York and attended Temple University in Philadelphia, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in risk management and insurance. After a six-year career in the commercial insurance industry, Brown returned to school, and subsequently earned a master’s in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Brown University.

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She is a Professor of Sociology at Emory University where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on race and racism, sports and society, and historical archival methods. In addition to her books, her research is published in various peer-reviewed academic journals such as the American Journal of Cultural Sociology, Southern Cultures, and The Du Bois Review. Dr. Brown is a Fulbright Scholar, and her international research has been supported by national foundations such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Hellman Fellows Fund. Brown currently serves on the board of The Obama Presidency Oral History Project.

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An educator, public speaker, author, and humanist known for her ability to empower her readership, students, and organizations to be active participants in driving equity and justice. She has been featured in such media outlets as Politico, Forbes, The LA Times, Sports Illustrated, and WUNC. Literary agency Serendipity represents her for book projects and Knowledge Arts Holdings manages her speaking engagements.

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Brown lives in Atlanta, GA, with her husband, fine artist and illustrator Charly Palmer, and their two pugs, Pugsly and Blu.