Tatiana M.F. Cruz
Associate Professor and Department Chair of Race, Gender, and Sexuality, and Interdisciplinary Program Director of Africana Studies and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Dr. Cruz is a historian and the Hazel Dick Leonard Endowed Chair, Associate Professor, and Chair of the Department of Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She also directs the Africana Studies (AST) program, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) program, and the Simmons Black Oral History Project (SBOHP).
Her scholarly expertise spans African American and Latinx history, urban and social movement history, oral history, and Critical Race/Ethnic Studies and Women’s/Gender Studies. Her research examines African American and Latinx social movements during the long civil rights era.
She is the author of Deep North Uprising: African American and Latinx Politics and Protest in Boston (UPenn Press, 2027) and has published widely in journals and edited collections. Dr. Cruz is also a DEIB strategist and consultant, advising K–12 schools and higher education institutions on racial justice, recruitment and retention, curricular development, and the development and evaluation of academic programs.
A Boston native by way of Costa Rica, a first-generation professor, a scholar-activist, and a proud mother of three, Dr. Cruz lives in Dorchester with her family.
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
Areas of Expertise
- 20th-Century U.S., African American, and Latinx History
- Race, Ethnic, Diaspora, and Critical Race Studies
- Women’s, Gender, and Feminist Studies
- Civil Rights, Black Power, and Social Movements
- Urban History/Studies
- Oral History
- DEIB, Racial Equity, & Critical Pedagogies in K-12 and Higher Ed
Courses
- AST 101: Introduction to Africana Studies
- AST 202: Introduction to Black Popular Culture
- AST/HIST 275: The Black Freedom Movement: From Civil Rights to Black Lives Matte
- AST 307: Black History at the Movies
- AST 350/355: AST Independent Study / Senior Thesis
- AST 375/HIST 354: Behind the Veil: Simmons Black Oral History Project
- WGSS/RGSS 101: Identity & Power
- WGSS 204/HIST 200: What is Feminism? Origins of Feminist Thought
- WGSS 350/355: WGSS Independent Study / Senior Thesis
Research and/or Special Projects
Dr. Cruz is the author of Deep North Uprising: African American and Latinx Politics and Protest in Boston (UPenn Press, 2027) and has published in the Journal of Urban History, New England Quarterly, and the edited collections Black Movement: African American Urban History Since the Great Migration and A Practitioner’s Guide to the Business of Faculty Affairs.
She is also the founder and director of the Simmons Black Oral History Project (SBOHP), a community-engaged initiative documenting the experiences of Black Simmons alumni and the student activism that led to the establishment of Black Studies at Simmons. Her current research examines Black student activism and movements to establish Black Studies programs at historically women’s colleges in the Northeast during the Black Power era.
Dr. Cruz is also committed to publicly engaged scholarship and the scholarship of teaching and learning. She develops curriculum and leads professional development workshops and trainings for K–12 and college educators on local history, Critical Race/Ethnic Studies, and culturally responsive pedagogy.
Awards
Simmons Awards/ Fellowships:
- Hazel Dick Leonard Endowed Chair, Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities, and Social Sciences (2025-2028)
- BIPOC Staff and Faculty Celebration of Excellence Award (2024)
- Faculty-Student Collaborative Fellowship (2024-2025)
- Hazel Dick Leonard Faculty Seminar Fellowship (2022)
- Public Humanities Faculty Seminar Fellowship (2021-2022)
- Post-Pandemic Innovative Teaching Award or “Silver Lining Award" (2021)
External Awards/Fellowships:
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Award, American Council on Education (ACE) Women’s Network Massachusetts (2024)
- Career Enhancement Fellowship for Junior Faculty, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (2020–2021)
- History and Public Policy Fellowship, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School (2017–2018)
Tatiana M.F. Cruz in the News
Celebrating First-Generation Graduates
Simmons University’s first annual First-Generation Graduation Ceremony was held on May 11, a joint event presented by the Multicultural Center and First to FINish, the First-Generation Student Support Program that provides resources and guidance for students.
Two Simmons Faculty Members Receive North Star Fellowships
Samuel Odom from the School of Social Work and Don Simmons from the School of Library and Information Science, have been named fellows by the North Star Collective Faculty Fellowship, which is designed to promote supportive community and racial healing for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) faculty members across New England.
Honoring the National Day of Racial Healing
January 21, 2025 — the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day — is the ninth annual National Day of Racial Healing (NDORH). Created by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, NDORH "is an opportunity to engage in collective action to create a more just and equitable world."
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...
Shout-outs from Students and Alums
Congratulations to the 2026 SURPASs Scholars
Nine undergraduate scholars from disciplines across Simmons have been selected to join the Summer Undergraduate Research Program at Simmons (SURPASs). From May to June, students will receive funding and mentorship to support their independent research. The six-week program includes workshops and research presentations, culminating in a student showcase in June.
Six Students Selected for the 2026 Senior Scholar Award
Six graduating seniors have been selected for the prestigious Senior Scholar Award at Simmons University. Sponsored by the Provost’s Office and the Office of Research and Fellowships, the Senior Scholar Award recognizes outstanding scholarly research and creative works across a variety of disciplinary fields.
SON Alumna Makes Impact in Pediatric Neurology
Beverly Byron ’75, is currently the co-chair of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Department of Health and Human Services’ Child Fatality Review Team. She is a longtime nurse educator and legal nurse consultant who double majored in nursing and sociology at Simmons.
Simmons Alumna Centers Survivorship
Kenyora Lenair Johnson ’10, CEO of End Rape On Campus (EROC), is dedicated to elevating survivorship and centering marginalized populations. To honor Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we spoke with her about EROC’s bold initiatives, as well as Simmons’ intergenerational community.
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 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.