Dr. Brandon McCormack named the new Director of the Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research
Dr. Brandon McCormack
August 1, 2021
We’re proud to announce that Dr. Brandon McCormack, Associate Professor of Pan-African Studies and Comparative Humanities, has been named the new Director of the Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research!
Dr. McCormack earned his PhD in 2013 from the Vanderbilt University Department of Religion, where he was also a fellow. He is also a proud undergraduate alum of UofL.
His research explores the intersections between Black religion, popular culture, the arts, and activism. He teaches courses in African American religion, religions of the African diaspora, and religion and hip-hop culture. He is one of the university’s inaugural Ascending Stars Fellows and an Academic Research Fellow at the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis. He is also a member of the Black Interfaith Project, a national network of academics, artists, and activists engaged in research and action around the role of Black religious and spiritual practices in movements for social justice.
Dr. McCormack is also a frequent speaker and lecturer, having been invited to speak at a range of institutions from HBCUs to Ivies. But he finds his deepest joy in speaking outside of academia: at churches, public schools, community centers, and other places where everyday folks are gathered and engaged in collective meaning-making and ongoing struggles for freedom.
The Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice research was established in 2006 to honor the work and legacy of longtime racial-justice organizer, educator, and journalist Anne Braden. It's mission is to bridge the gap between academic research and community activism for racial and social justice. To learn more about the institute, click here.
UofL News recently spoke with Dr. McCormack about his work, Anne Braden, and the institute’s role in promoting racial and social justice. You can read that interview here.
