Rico Chapman

Rico Devara Chapman currently serves as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Professor of History in the Department of History and Philosophy at Jackson State University (JSU). Before taking on this role, he was a Professor of History in the Department of African American Studies, Africana Women’s Studies, and History at Clark Atlanta University (CAU), where he also served as Assistant Dean for the School of Arts and Sciences and Director of the Humanities Ph.D. Program. At CAU, Chapman founded the Center for Africana Digital Humanities. His scholarly work is rich and varied, with research interests that span student movements, public history, and digital humanities. His academic and professional pursuits are deeply intertwined with the African diaspora’s historical and contemporary struggles for justice, particularly focusing on student activism both in the United States and South Africa. Notably, Chapman was named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award recipient in 2024 with affiliation at the University of Witwatersrand. His work has been supported by various agencies, such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the National Park Service, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. In addition to his book Student Resistance to Apartheid at the University of Fort Hare: Freedom Now, A Degree Tomorrow, he has a number of published articles and book chapters.