Dr Darlene Clark Hine

Arts and Sciences and a former president of the Organization of American Historians and of the Southern Historical Association. She has a BA, MA and PhD, and has taught at universities across the US, including Northwestern University, Purdue University, and South Carolina State University . Professor Hine is also the author/co-author of 15 books which have helped define critical thinking around the African-American experience, including Black Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia.

Advancing the field of AfricanAmerican history

Professor Hine has made a huge contribution to the advancement of African-American history, particularly of African-American women. “It is an area of historical interest that simply did not exist 50 years ago,” she says.

“It has also been rewarding to have helped so many undergraduate and graduate students become historians. Many former students have become superb teachers and scholars. I am exceedingly proud of them and their contributions to understanding our past.”

The professor has been recognised for her work by many international institutions. Perhaps her most stunning achievement was being honoured with the National Humanities Medal, presented to her by President Barack Obama in 2014.

For Professor Hine, one of her biggest challenges is to educate future generations of historians. She believes that too many people dismiss the study of history as boring, where in fact it’s one of the richest fields you can learn. “We have an obligation and responsibility to stimulate an interest in history,” states Professor Hine.

The importance of The African American Odyssey

More than 20 years ago, Professor Hine co-authored one of the most important texts on African-American history. On the book’s production and release, the professor says: “Pearson did an outstanding job of creating an attractive, readable, and engaging presentation of some of the most important people and events in American history. The book has improved and stood the test of time.”

It’s relevance and impact has certainly lasted. After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, the global outrage sparked greater interest in the African-American past. “His killing generated intense interest in the turbulent and difficult relationships people of African descent have had for centuries in American society,” she says. “Many people have suddenly become aware of “hidden” events in the past. One example would be the recent observance of the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Oklahoma Massacre in 1921. Many people admitted that they had never heard of it – some complained that knowledge of this tragedy had been kept from them. But the destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood community has been in The African American Odyssey since its first edition in 2000."