Aisha Upton-Azzam
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Contact Information
-
Email Addressupton@taodengshi.com
-
Phone Number570-372-4758
-
Office LocationFisher Hall - Rm 321
I am an assistant professor of sociology at Susquehanna University. I began working here in fall 2021. My research focuses on Black radical movements, Black organizations and Black feminism. My book, The Power We Need Right Now: Black Sororities and Radical Black Movements of the 1970s, will be published in February 2026. This project examines Black sororities’ engagement with the Black Power and Black feminist movements. I am also studying the anti-lynching movement.
As an undergraduate, I became fascinated with Black movements after taking an African American studies course on the history of injustice, which focused on the civil rights movement. I was amazed by the resilience of Black communities in the face of segregation, violence and disenfranchisement. I later developed an interest in sociology through courses on social problems and poverty, which gave me a deeper understanding of racial inequality.
Encouraged by my advisor, I pursued graduate studies, earning my Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2021. My dissertation, Roses and Revolution: Black Sororities’ Interactions with the Black Feminist Movement 1968–1980, explored Black sororities’ role in activism. Before my doctoral studies, I spent a year in AmeriCorps doing community engagement and out-of-school programming in Columbus, Ohio.
- ANTH-235: Qualitative Research Methods
- ANTH-501: Independent Research
- HONS-301: 300-Level Honors Seminar
- SOCI-101: Principles of Sociology
- SOCI-195: Protest and Activism
- SOCI-202: Black Feminism I
- SOCI-235: Qualitative Research Methods
- SOCI-301: Topics in Sociology
- SOCI-311: Sociological Theory
- SOCI-413: Critical Race Theory
- SOCI-500: Seminar
- SOCI-501: Independent Research
About Me
I am an assistant professor of sociology at Susquehanna University. I began working here in fall 2021. My research focuses on Black radical movements, Black organizations and Black feminism. My book, The Power We Need Right Now: Black Sororities and Radical Black Movements of the 1970s, will be published in February 2026. This project examines Black sororities’ engagement with the Black Power and Black feminist movements. I am also studying the anti-lynching movement.
As an undergraduate, I became fascinated with Black movements after taking an African American studies course on the history of injustice, which focused on the civil rights movement. I was amazed by the resilience of Black communities in the face of segregation, violence and disenfranchisement. I later developed an interest in sociology through courses on social problems and poverty, which gave me a deeper understanding of racial inequality.
Encouraged by my advisor, I pursued graduate studies, earning my Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2021. My dissertation, Roses and Revolution: Black Sororities’ Interactions with the Black Feminist Movement 1968–1980, explored Black sororities’ role in activism. Before my doctoral studies, I spent a year in AmeriCorps doing community engagement and out-of-school programming in Columbus, Ohio.