Barbara Krauthamer: Historian and Academic Leader in African-American History
Barbara Krauthamer is a distinguished American historian whose work has profoundly shaped the understanding of African-American history, particularly the intersections of slavery, emancipation, and citizenship. With a career spanning prestigious faculty positions and high-level administrative roles, Krauthamer has dedicated her life to uncovering marginalized narratives and fostering diversity within higher education.
Key Facts
- Specialization: African-American history and the history of slavery.
- Notable Achievement: First African American dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Emory University.
- Major Award: 2013 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction.
- Academic Pedigree: PhD from Princeton University, MA from Washington University in St. Louis, and BA from Dartmouth College.
- Key Publication: Author of Black Slaves, Indian Masters, the first full-length study of chattel slavery in the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations.
Early Life and Academic Foundation
Born in 1967 in New Jersey, Barbara Krauthamer grew up in a household defined by academic excellence and resilience. Her father, a German Jew who fled to the United States in 1938, co-founded the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Her mother achieved a historic milestone as the first African American woman to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology from Rutgers University.
Krauthamer's commitment to social justice emerged early during her time at Dartmouth College. While initially majoring in neuroscience, she became a leader in organizing rallies against apartheid in South Africa, a passion that led her to switch her major to government. She graduated in 1989, later gaining practical experience in public defender's offices in Washington, D.C., and New York City before pursuing advanced degrees in history.
She earned her master's degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1994 and completed her PhD at Princeton University in 2000. Her doctoral thesis, Blacks on the Borders: African-Americans' Transition from Slavery to Freedom in Texas and the Indian Territory, 1836-1907, laid the groundwork for her future scholarly contributions.
Scholarly Contributions and Publications
After serving as a faculty member at New York University, Krauthamer joined the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2008 as an assistant professor. Her research focuses on chattel slavery—a system of bondage where people are treated as personal property—and the complex transition to freedom.
In 2013, she published Black Slaves, Indian Masters: Slavery, Emancipation, and Citizenship in the Native American South. This seminal work provided the first comprehensive analysis of enslaved people within the Chickasaw and Choctaw Indian nations. That same year, she collaborated with photographer Deborah Willis on Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery. This visually rich volume, featuring over 150 historical images, earned the 2013 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in Non-Fiction.
Beyond her own monographs, Krauthamer has influenced generations of students as the editor of the widely used textbook Major Problems in African American History.
Leadership in Higher Education
Krauthamer's impact extends beyond the archives into academic administration. At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, she served as the graduate program director for the history department and later as the dean of the Graduate School starting in 2017. In these roles, she championed diversity by creating mentoring and fellowship programs to support underrepresented graduate students.
Her leadership trajectory continued as she became the dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at UMass Amherst in 2020. In 2022, her expertise was recognized at the state level when Governor Charlie Baker appointed her to the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
On July 1, 2023, Krauthamer made history by becoming the first African American dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Emory University. Although she stepped down from the deanship on January 6, 2026, for personal reasons, she continues to serve as a valued member of the Emory College faculty.
Summary of Professional Profile
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Primary Discipline | African-American History |
| Education | BA (Dartmouth), MA (WashU), PhD (Princeton) |
| Key Leadership Roles | Dean at Emory University; Dean at UMass Amherst |
| Major Awards | NAACP Image Award (2013), Lorraine A. Williams Leadership Award (2017) |
| Notable Books | Black Slaves, Indian Masters; Envisioning Emancipation |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Barbara Krauthamer's primary area of historical research?
She specializes in African-American history, with a specific focus on the history of slavery, emancipation, and the lives of enslaved people in the Native American South.
Which book earned her an NAACP Image Award?
She received the 2013 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in Non-Fiction for the book Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery, co-authored with Deborah Willis.
What was her significance at Emory University?
Barbara Krauthamer served as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, becoming the first African American to hold that position at the university.
How has she contributed to diversity in academia?
During her tenure at UMass Amherst, she created fellowship and mentoring programs specifically designed to recruit and retain graduate students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.
What is the significance of her book "Black Slaves, Indian Masters"?
It is recognized as the first full-length scholarly study focusing on chattel slavery and the experiences of enslaved people within the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indian nations.