Francille Wilson facts for kids

Francille Rusan Wilson, born on March 7, 1947, is an American historian. She is famous for studying black labor, social movements, and the history of black women.

Early Life and Education

Francille Rusan Wilson grew up in St. Louis County, Missouri. She went to schools that were both segregated and desegregated.

She earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Wellesley College. While there, she helped start a black student group called Ethos. She was also very active in student movements. These movements helped bring black studies programs to Wellesley.

Later, Wilson studied at Harvard University. She received a master's degree in Social Studies. She then earned her Ph.D. and another master's degree in American History. This was in 1988 at the University of Pennsylvania. At Penn, she studied with Nell Irvin Painter.

She continued her learning at Stanford University. There, she did postdoctoral training in behavioral sciences. Today, she serves on the Los Angeles Commission on the Status of Women. She is also on the state board of the California African American Museum.

Career and Research

Francille Rusan Wilson is a historian who studies important topics. Her research looks at social movements and black intellectuals. She also focuses on the history of black women.

Leadership in History

Currently, she is the National Director of the Association of Black Women Historians. This is her second time serving in this role. She also works as an associate professor. She teaches in the American Studies and Ethnicity and History departments at the University of Southern California.

Before joining USC, Wilson taught at other universities. She taught African American studies and history. These schools included the University of Maryland and Eastern Michigan University. She also taught at the University of Michigan in Flint and Ann Arbor.

Important Books and Articles

Wilson has written many journal articles and one book. Her book is called The Segregated Scholars: Black Social Scientists and the Creation of Black Labor Studies. For this book, she did a lot of research. She also conducted historical interviews. The book explores the lives of African American labor historians and social scientists.

Many people have reviewed this book. They say it created a strong base for future discussions about black scholars. The book also considers gender, social class, and the time period these scholars lived in.

List of Publications

• The Segregated Scholars: Black Social Scientists and the Creation of Black Labor Studies, 1890-1950.
• "Gertrude Emily Hicks Bustill Mossell: Her Heritage, Her Impact, and Her Legacy"
• "Becoming 'Woman of the Year': Sadie Alexander's Construction of a Public Persona as a Black Professional Women 1920–1950"
• "Our Foremother's Keepers: The Association of Black Women Historians"
• "Black Women's History at the Intersection of Knowledge of Knowledge and Power", ABWH's Twentieth Anniversary Anthology

Awards and Recognition

Francille Rusan Wilson has received many awards for her work.

She won the Letitia Woods Brown Memorial Book Prize. This award is for the best book in African American Women's history. She received it for her book, The Segregated Scholars. The Association of Black Women Historians gave her this prize.

She also served on the boards of other important groups. These include the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. She was also on the Labor and Working Class History Association board.

In December 2007, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appointed Francille to the Los Angeles Commission on the Status of Women. She served as president for the 2009-2010 year.

On February 9, 2008, she received the Mary McLeod Bethune Excellence in Education Award. This was from the Our Authors Study Club of Los Angeles. In 2011, the governor appointed her to the State Board of the California African American Museum. She served a four-year term. She has also received the Distinguished Lecturer Award. This was from the Organization of American Historians in 2013 and 2003.