Dr. Destin Jenkins

Biography

Destin Jenkins is an Associate Professor of History and Black Studies at Yale University. His research focuses on the political economy of capitalism, the inequalities that affect life chances, and the efforts of Black people to thrive and survive amidst the conflicts within 'the Black community.' He is the author of the book 'Bonds of Inequality: Debt and Making a American City' published by the University of Chicago Press in 2021, which has received widespread reviews and won prestigious awards such as the Ellis W. Hawley Prize and the James Rawley Prize from the Organization of American Historians in 2022. Jenkins is a finalist for the 2022 Kenneth Jackson Award for his book on North American Urban History and the 2023 Hagley Prize in Business History. He has served as co-editor of 'Histories of Racial Capitalism,' published by Columbia University Press in 2021. Jenkins contributes articles to esteemed publications like the American Historical Review, Journal of Urban History, Washington Post, and Nation, among others. His current research involves examining pivotal episodes of the politicization of debt in America during the emergence of the post-colonial nation and the end of the Cold War. Jenkins also co-convenes the Endeavors Seminar Series in the Department of Black Studies and leads initiatives like the Debt Lab and Research Program on Black Political Economy. He holds a BA from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Modern U.S. History from Stanford University, where he previously served as a Neubauer Family Assistant Professor. He is open to inquiries from prospective graduate and undergraduate students interested in history, capitalism, racial inequality, and urban democracy.

Research Interests

Experience