My Story, In A Nutshell
I was born and raised in Canada by immigrant parents from the Global South. Growing up in a nation that didn’t acknowledge it had a racism problem (or a history of slavery), I spent my childhood dealing with racial slurs and being looked down on for my name, my color, and my cultural background — yet I was told that racism was an American issue. The gaslighting was real!
My life changed when I went to the University of Alberta and took Dr. Susan Smith’s course, “Women’s History in the US.” I finally acquired a language for what I’d always known in my heart (but couldn’t quite articulate) about my experiences growing up. I also started to develop a clearer understanding of global racism, anti-Blackness, and misogynoir, thanks to Dr. Deborah Gray White’s book, Ar’n’t I a Woman? I decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in History with Dr. Smith and eventually made my way to the U.S. to work on my Ph.D. with none other than Dr. Deborah Gray White at Rutgers University.
While finishing my dissertation, I taught in the History Department at Kean University in New Jersey. There, I was lucky to have classrooms filled with Black, Latine, Asian, Middle Eastern, Jewish, and white students from across the country (and the globe) — most of whom were working-class and first generation. It was hard to leave them, but I completed my doctorate in 2005 and relocated to Indiana University, where I would have the opportunity to work with both doctoral and undergraduate students.
At IU, I’ve been able to train brilliant graduate students; teach terrific undergraduates; apply for and win prestigious fellowships from organizations like the “American Council of Learned Societies” (ACLS); and acquire administrative training as a member of the competitive, Big Ten Academic Alliance “Academic Leadership Program” (ALP). That training readied me for a role in our College’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) in 2020 as a Faculty Fellow, working on issues of campus climate and equity. It also allowed me to gain the skills I needed to take up my current work as Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of History, a position I began in July 2022.
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2022: Bloomington Faculty Council, “Inclusive Excellence Award,” Indiana University, May 2022.
2017: Martin Luther King, Jr. “Building Bridges Award,” Indiana University, January 2017.
2017: First Place, “Bring it On!” Outstanding Contributions in Reporting Events of Public Importance, Radio Public Affairs, Indiana Chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists, April 2017.
2013: Phillis Wheatley Book Prize, North East Black Studies Association.
2012: Julia Cherry Spruill Book Prize, Southern Association of Women Historians
2012: Anna Julia Cooper-C.L.R. James Book Prize, National Council for Black Studies.
2012: George C. Rogers, Jr. Book Prize, South Carolina Historical Society.
2012: Letitia Woods Brown Memorial Book Prize: Honorable Mention, Association of Black Women Historians (ABWH).
2011: Frances Marshall Achievement Award (Excellence in teaching and mentoring), Alpha Phi Alpha-Gamma Eta Chapter, Indiana University.
2009: Letitia Woods Brown Memorial Article Prize- Best Article on African American Women’s History, ABWH.
2009: Trustees’ Teaching Award, Department of History, Indiana University.
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I love, love, love to dance and travel, so I use my free time (such that it is!) to try and see the world. I particularly love the water and beaches, so I try to sneak off somewhere warm whenever I can.
I’m an unashamed foodie. I adore spicy cuisine (think Ethiopian, Indian, and Thai), as well as red wine and bourbon. I’m a good cook, and I can make a mean Old Fashioned!
IMO, dogs are simply the best, and my elderly chocolate lab, Shiloh, is my whole heart.
I spend several hours a week practicing yoga and listening to blues, jazz, 80s music, and Old School everything.
I’ll binge-watch whatever’s hot and streaming on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, or Amazon Prime. I’m particularly obsessed with all things GOT, LOTR, and Star Trek. Yes, yes, I am. lol.
“Dr. Myers keenly understands the challenges graduate students face personally and professionally. She is a dedicated educator, mentor, and an impeccable historian who cares for her students, produces brilliant scholarship and has truly impacted our field.” —Charlene J. Fletcher, Ph.D.