Barbara McCaskill

Distinguished Research Professor 2025

Barbara McCaskill, professor in the Franklin College Department of English and associate academic director of the Willson Center for Humanities & Arts, is a leading scholar of African American literature whose work has reshaped understanding of Black literary history and public humanities. Her research has been pivotal in recovering the lives and writings of historical Black figures, particularly William and Ellen Craft, whose daring escape from slavery in Georgia she examined in “Love, Liberation, and Escaping Slavery” (University of Georgia Press, 2015), and her critical edition of “Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom.” McCaskill has secured over $2 million in external funding, co-leads the Willson Center’s Mellon Foundation-funded project, “Culture and Community at the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District,” and developed public-facing resources such as the award-winning Civil Rights Digital Library. Her research has been featured in high-impact journals, podcasts, and national media. Through her scholarship and public engagement, she continues to illuminate African American literary and historical legacies.