Tatiana M.F. Cruz
Assistant Professor and Interdisciplinary Program Director of Africana Studies and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Dr. Cruz is a historian that specializes in Critical Race, Ethnic, Diaspora, and Gender Studies. Her work reflects the intersections of African American history, Latinx history, urban history, and social movement history, and oral history. She is also a leader in the field of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
In addition to her role at Simmons, Dr. Cruz is the Founding Co-Director of the North Star Collective, a regional consortium of colleges and universities out of the New England Board of Higher Education committed to faculty racial equity and reparative justice in higher education.
Area of Expertise:
Dr. Cruz’s primary research centers on African American and Latinx social movements in the urban north, particularly Boston's racial politics. Her other areas of expertise include oral history, Critical Race/Ethnic Studies histories and pedagogies, and racial equity in higher education.
Education
- PhD, History, University of Michigan
- Graduate Certificate, African American and Diasporic Studies, University of Michigan
- MA, History, University of Michigan
- BA, History & American Studies, Williams College
Courses
Dr. Cruz teaches a variety of Africana Studies and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality courses, including:
- AST 101: Intro to Africana Studies
- AST 202 Intro to Black Popular Culture
- AST 275 The Black Freedom Movement: From Civil Rights to Black Lives Matte
- AST 350/355 Independent Study / Senior Thesis
- AST 375/575 Behind the Veil: Simmons Black Oral History Project
- RGSS/WGSS 101 Identity & Power
- WGSS 200 What is Feminism? Origins of Feminist Thought
Research/Creative Activities
Dr. Cruz is currently completing a book titled Deep North Uprising: African American and Latinx Politics and Protest in Boston (University of Pennsylvania Press). Her work has also been published in the Journal of Urban History, The New England Quarterly, and she has forthcoming chapters in two edited collections: Black Movement: African American Urban History Since the Great Migration (University of North Carolina Press) and A Practitioner’s Guide to the Business of Faculty Affairs (Routledge). Her work has been supported by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Boston’s College’s African and African Diaspora Studies Program, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, among others.
Awards
At Simmons, Dr. Cruz has been awarded the 2021 Post-Pandemic Innovative Teaching Award or “Silver Lining Award" and the 2024 BIPOC Staff and Faculty Celebration of Excellence Award.
Dr. Cruz also received the 2024 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Award from the American Council on Education (ACE) Women’s Network Massachusetts.
Tatiana M.F. Cruz in the News
Navigating the North Star: Assistant Professor Tatiana M.F. Cruz Receives Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Award
The American Council on Education Women’s Network Massachusetts has recognized Tatiana M.F. Cruz, Assistant Professor and Interdisciplinary Program Director of Africana Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies, and her collaborator Dr. Kamille Gentles-Peart (Roger Williams University) for co-founding and directing the North Star Collective, a group of colleges and universities in New England that are committed to faculty racial equity.
Assistant Professor of History Yunxin Li Receives North Star Collective Fellowship
This spring semester, Professor Yunxin Li is participating in the North Star Collective as a Faculty Fellow. The fellowship offers engagement opportunities for BIPOC faculty members from a variety of New England institutions. Li reflects on how the North Star...
Assistant Professor Tatiana Cruz on the Value of Africana Studies for All
Africana Studies at Simmons is celebrating 50 years. Assistant Professor Tatiana Cruz sees it as a perfect complement to any major at Simmons, offering cultural insight that is invaluable for working in diverse communities. Tell us about Africana Studies at...
Simmons Celebrates Women’s Equality Day
Since 1971, the United States has recognized Women's Equality Day to commemorate women's right to vote and the anniversary of the 19 th amendment. Simmons University faculty have produced pioneering research on the history of women's struggle for equity. Students...
"Boston's Welfare Rights Movement" An Interview with Tatiana M.F. Cruz
Below is a conversation with historian Tatiana M.F. Cruz, Assistant Professor of Critical Race, Gender, and Cultural Studies and Interdisciplinary Program Director of Africana Studies at Simmons University. Talking with Taylor Eubanks, graduate student of Gender and Cultural Studies, Professor...
Simmons Faculty Recognized for Innovative Teaching During the Pandemic
Simmons University received a $10,000 Presidential Grant through the Davis Education Foundation to fund a Post-Pandemic Innovative Teaching Award.
Simmons University’s Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities Welcomes Six New Faculty Members
Cohort of talented faculty helps fulfill commitments to student success and faculty diversity.
Shout-outs from Students and Alums
Merging a Scholarly Stance with Lived Experience
Africana Studies and Political Science double major Reham Zeroual ’24 discusses her engagement with Student Senate, her favorite courses and professors, as well as her experience as a first-generation college student.
Congratulations to the 2024 Senior Scholars
The annual Senior Scholar Award is sponsored by the Provost's Office and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. The award recognizes six graduating seniors for their outstanding scholarship and contribution to a field of study.
Student Researcher Sunei Clarke ’24 Reflects on Simmons Black Oral History Project
Public Health major and Chemistry minor Sunei Clarke ’24 participated in the Simmons Black Oral History Project, conducting interviews with alumnae/i to document and memorialize the experiences of Black students at Simmons through the generations. Clarke spoke with us about the process of creating oral histories and the value of Africana Studies for all majors.
Undergraduate Recipients of 2023 Senior Scholar Award
Six seniors across the University have been selected as recipients of the 2023 Senior Scholar Award, in recognition of outstanding scholarship and contribution to a field of study.
Sara Slager '23 Researches History of Reproductive Activism in Boston
When Roe v. Wade was overturned on June 24, 2022, student Sara Slager — a double major in Education and Women's and Gender Studies — was in the middle of a research project on local reproductive rights activism. She spoke...
Ifill Scholar Kaycee Jackson '23 Focuses on Race and Politics
Why did you choose to attend Simmons? I transferred to Simmons from another institution. I was interested in being challenged academically, and when I looked at the courses in the political science program at Simmons, I thought this will help...