N. D. B. Connolly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
N. D. B. Connolly
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Connolly in 2021
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| Born | November 6, 1977 |
| Alma mater | St. Thomas University (B.A., 1999) University of Chicago (M.A., 2000) University of Michigan |
| Profession | Historian and professor |
Nathan Daniel Beau Connolly (born November 6, 1977) is an American historian and professor. He teaches history at Johns Hopkins University. He is also a co-host of the U.S. history podcast BackStory.
Connolly wrote a book called A World More Concrete: Real Estate and the Remaking of Jim Crow South Florida. He describes himself as a "desegregationist." This means he works to understand and undo the effects of segregation. In 2016, he became the first African-American U.S. historian to earn a permanent teaching position (called tenure) at Johns Hopkins University. He also won important awards for his work, like the Kenneth T. Jackson Book Award and the Bennett H. Wall Award.
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Connolly's Journey: Education and Early Career
Nathan Connolly went to Nova High School and then St. Thomas University. He graduated with high honors in 1999. After that, he earned a master's degree from the University of Chicago in 2000. He then completed his doctorate in history at the University of Michigan in 2008.
While at Michigan, Connolly helped start a group called the Black Humanities Collective in 2004. This group helped graduate students with their studies and offered support. He won awards for his writing, teaching, and for the best history paper written at the university.
Researching South Florida's History
After finishing his classes, Connolly moved to South Florida. He began researching for his main project, called his dissertation. It was titled By Eminent Domain: Race and Capital in the Building of an American South Florida.
He studied how racism changed in Greater Miami. This happened through fights over land, housing, and tourism. Between the 1930s and 1970s, local leaders and activists used housing and land laws. They changed the rules of Jim Crow segregation. Jim Crow laws were unfair rules that kept Black and white people separate. Over time, Miami changed from a quiet Southern town. It became known as "The Capital of the Caribbean."
Teaching and Academic Life
After completing his studies, Connolly became an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University. He was very involved in several programs there. These included the Center for Africana Studies and the Program on Racism, Immigration, and Citizenship.
He also taught classes to graduate students. These classes covered American history, city history, and African American biographies. He also taught about how historians use ideas like Critical race theory. This theory helps understand how race and racism affect society.
Becoming a Leading Professor
During the 2015–2016 school year, Connolly was a visiting professor at New York University. In 2016, he returned to Johns Hopkins University. He became the Herbert Baxter Adams Chair and an associate professor in history. This was a big achievement.
At this time, he also joined other important groups at the university. These included the Program in Museums and Society and the Center for Medical Humanities and Social Medicine.
Co-hosting the BackStory Podcast
In December 2016, Connolly joined BackStory. This show is produced by Virginia Humanities. For eight years before he joined, BackStory was a radio show. When Connolly came aboard, it became a podcast.
He joined with another co-host, Joanne Freeman. The current co-hosts of the show are Ed Ayers, Brian Balogh, and Joanne Freeman. Peter Onuf is also involved as a host-emeritus. The podcast explores different topics in U.S. history.
