Skip to content
Notable Folklorists of Color
  • Remembering Our Ancestral Legacies
    • 2019 Exhibit Introduction
    • 2019 Notable Folklorists of Color
    • About the 2019 Exhibit
  • Expanding the Frames
    • 2022 Exhibit Introduction
    • 2022 Notable Folklorists of Color
    • Centers and Landscapes
    • About the 2022 Exhibit
  • Learn More
    • Recurring Themes Across Culture Groups
    • Emergent Questions for Folklore Studies
    • Future Research Opportunities
    • Bibliographies
    • Contributors
  • View All Notable Folklorists of Color
Notable Folklorists of Color

2019 Notable Folklorists of Color

colorful image with 2019 exhibit title

These 25 scholars – selected in 2019 to emphasize the 25 years of the existence of the AFS Cultural Diversity Committee – expanded research in folkloristics and laid a foundation for folkloristic scholarship by people of color in communities of color.

How many of these ancestors who have contributed to the field of folklore studies do you know?

Charles Alexander Eastman, MD (Ohíye S’a)

Thomas Washington Talley

Portrait of Aurelio Macedonio Espinosa, Sr.

Aurelio Macedonio Espinosa, Sr.

Portrait of María Elena Zamora O’Shea

María Elena Zamora O’Shea

Arthur Caswell Parker (Gawaso Wanneh)

Louis Shotridge (Stoowukháa)

Ella C. Deloria (Anpetu Wastéwin)

Zora Neale Hurston

John Mason Brewer

Lydia Cabrera

Gladys Iola Tantaquidgeon

Juan Bautista Rael

Portrait of Jovita González Mireles

Jovita González Mireles

Cover of the book The Chinese Laundryman: A Study of Social Isolation by Paul C. P. Siu

Paul Chan Pang Siu

Jon Y. Lee

Américo Paredes

Harry Minoru Urata

Kathryn Lawson Morgan

Portrait of

Ricardo Alegría

Walter Murray Chiesa

Gladys-Marie Fry

Clydia Dotson Nahwooksy

William Hawthorne Wiggins, Jr.

Gerald L. Davis

Beverly J. Robinson

Read the Introduction to the 2019 Exhibit
Learn more about the 2019 exhibit

The American Folklore Society is dedicated to the study of folklore and expressive traditions in the U.S. and throughout the world through programming, publications, and resources. AFS embraces an inclusive view of cultural creativity, advocates for respect across cultures, and educates the public and policymakers by amplifying traditional culture as it nurtures the broader values of place and community. Learn more at americanfolkloresociety.org.

Quick Links

  • Remembering Our Ancestral Legacies
  • Expanding the Frames
  • View All Notable Folklorists of Color
  • Recurring Themes Across Culture Groups
  • Emergent Questions for Folklore Studies
  • Future Research Opportunities
  • Contributors

Translate This Site

Questions? Comments?

Email us at: info@afsnet.org

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 American Folklore Society