Barbara D. Savage facts for kids

Barbara Dianne Savage (born 1953) is a writer, historian, and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She teaches about important topics like 20th-century African American history, social movements in America, and how media and politics connect. She also teaches about the history of black women's ideas and leadership.

Her Education and Early Work

Barbara Savage went to college at the University of Virginia. She also studied law at the Georgetown University Law Center. Later, she earned a special degree called a Ph.D. in history from Yale University.

Before she became a professor, Savage worked in Washington, D.C. She was a staff member for Congress, helping with important government work. She also worked for the Children's Defense Fund. This organization helps protect and support children. While she was studying for her Ph.D., she also worked at Yale University, helping with federal relations.

Teaching and Research

Today, Barbara Savage is a respected professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She holds a special title there, the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought. She teaches both college students and those studying for advanced degrees.

Her classes cover many interesting subjects, such as:

• The history of African Americans in the 1900s.
• Important movements in American history that aimed to change society and religion.
• How media and politics have influenced each other over time.
• The political and intellectual history of black women.

In 2017, Professor Savage was chosen for a special role at the University of Oxford in England. She became the Harmsworth Visiting Professor of American History. This is a very old and respected position, first created in 1922.

Her Books

Barbara Savage has written several important books about history. Her books help us understand different parts of American history and the experiences of African Americans.

• Broadcasting Freedom: Radio, War, and the Politics of Race, 1938-1948 (1999)
• Women and Religion in the African Diaspora (2006) – She edited this book with R. Marie Griffith.
• Your Spirits Walk Beside Us: The Politics of Black Religion (2008)
• Merze Tate: The Global Odyssey of a Black Woman Scholar (2023)