James Fisher

Program: Ph.D. in History

Field of Study: African History

Advisor: Dr. Assan Sarr

Degrees Held: B.A. in Black World Studies and History from Miami University; M.A. in History from Ohio University

Research interests: My work focuses on the intersection between politics, governance and education in West Africa, particularly the Senegambia region, and its interactions with the broader Atlantic World. My dissertation specifically focuses on the history of education governance in The Gambia under the colonial and post-independence periods.

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Recent Accomplishments

Below is a list of publications, funding secured, papers/talks given, and other news/accomplishments since summer 2023.

Work

I am currently a Researcher in Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life.

Publications

• “The Past’s Haunting of the Present: Musical Memorializations of Patrice Lumumba and Thomas Sankara in West African Popular Culture,” in Alioune Willane, Babacar M’Baye, and Khadimou Rassoul Thiam (Eds.), Music as Cultural Text – Performance Traditions in West Africa and its Diasporas (Springer Nature, 2025).
• James J. Fisher, “Revolutionary Art and the Creation of the Future: The Afrofuturist Texts of José Antonio Aponte and Martin R. Delany,” Arts 13(4) (2024): 129. “Special Issue: Black Artists in the Atlantic World,” https://doi.org/10.3390/arts13040129.
• “Book Review: Josh Shepperd’s Shadow of the New Deal: The Victory of Public Broadcasting” in Journal of Contemporary History (Forthcoming)
• Cox, Hannah, James J. Fisher, and Peter Levine, “What Will AI Do to Higher Education? A Conversation with Undergraduates,” eCampus News, 8/28/24.
• “Senegal’s government is promising a ‘systematic change’ in education,” Africa at LSE, 5/22/2024.
• “‘Power to the People’: Revisiting Senegal’s Political History in Light of the 2024 Elections,” Africa Up Close (Wilson Center), 4/23/2024.
• “Dialogue within the Quaker International Seminar Program for West Africa,” GenerousListening.org (Vuslat Foundation), 2/29/2024, .
• “Senegal’s Upcoming Presidential Elections and Its Implications for US-Senegal Relations,” Africa: Year in Review 2023 (Wilson Center), 1/31/2024.
• “Fake news is still a problem. International experience shows how a robust public education program on media literacy could help,” LSE American Politics & Public Policy, 7/21/2023.
• “Music as a tool for peacebuilding in Senegal ahead of the 2024 elections,” Africa Up Close (Wilson Center), 7/14/2023.

Workshops Led

• 2024 “Pre-Election Workshop for Listening and Dialogue in the Classroom,” Co-facilitated Training Workshop with the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, Tufts University, October.
• 2024 “Political Polarization Dialogue,” Co-facilitated Dialogue with the Office of the Vice Provost for Institutional Inclusive Excellence, Tufts University, October.
• 2024 “Dialogue on Anti-Palestinian/Arab/Muslim Bias,” Co-facilitated Dialogue with the Office of the Vice Provost for Institutional Inclusive Excellence, Tufts University, September.
• 2024 “Responding to Difficult Dialogues: Open Consultation Session,” Co-facilitated Training Workshop with the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, Tufts University, April.
• 2024 “Civil Discourse & Polarization,” Facilitated dialogue at the Tufts Community Symposium, Tufts University, April.
• 2024 “Responding in the Moment to Challenging Classroom Conversations,” Co-facilitated Training Workshop with the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, Tufts University, March.
• 2024 “Building Proactive Capacities for Important Classroom Conversations,” Co-facilitated Training Workshop with the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, Tufts University, February.

Invited Talks/Seminars

• 2024 “The Sound is the Power: Sonic Politics and Audio Technology in West Africa,” invited talk presented at the Science, Technology, and Society Lunch Seminar, Tufts University, October.
• 2024 “Global Citizens Seminar,” invited participant, Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue, May/June.
• 2024 “The History of Education Policy and Governance in The Gambia,” invited talk presented at Contemporary History Institute, Ohio University, April.

Funding Received

• 2024 Research Travel Funding, Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts University.
• 2023 Research Travel Funding, Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts University.