Dr. Jennifer Jones

Biography

Jennifer Dominique Jones is an Associate Professor in the Department of History and Women's Gender Studies at the University of Michigan. She completed her PhD in American History at Princeton University in 2014 and holds a BA in African American Studies and History from the University of Michigan. Her research and teaching expertise focus on Black Queer History, Black Feminist History, and African American History post-1877, with an emphasis on the politics and social life of gender and sexuality in the United States during the Twentieth Century. She explores the political narratives linking LGBTQ+ understandings with Black political mobilization and social justice. Jones regularly teaches courses such as 'Queer Histories in the United States', 'Black Queer Histories', and 'History of Sexuality and Feminist Methods'. Her latest book, 'Ambivalent Affinities', looks into the complex relationships between Blackness and homosexuality from World War II to the present, emphasizing the interconnectedness of movements for civil rights and LGBTQ+ rights. She has received recognitions, including being a finalist for the 2024 LGBTQ+ Studies Prize and receiving an honorable mention for the James Rawley Prize in American History. Jones's work significantly contributes to illuminating the underexplored intersections of race, gender, and sexuality.

Research Interests

Experience